A long way home
by sleeplessnite
Summary: It was supposed to be the vacation of a life time, but fate had other plans. When best friends Rowan and Elira get sucked into another world, they find themselves helping 13 dwarfs and a Hobbit on their quest to re-claim their homeland- Finding adventure, danger, a bit of love, and secretes about their past along the way. [FilixOC- KilixOC]
1. a long way down

**Disclaimer I do not own the Hobbit in an way or the P.J movies . (if I did I wouldn't be filling out student loan forms.)**

**A long way home**

_My dear Frodo, you asked me once if I had told you everything there was to know about my adventures. And while I can honestly say I have told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it. I am old now, Frodo. I'm not the same hobbit as I once was. I think it is time for you to know what really happened….. _

_It began long ago in a land far away to the east, the like of which you will not find in the world today. There was the city of Dale, its markets known far and wide, full of the bounties of vine and vale, peaceful and prosperous. For this city lay before the doors of the greatest kingdom in Middle-earth; Erebor, stronghold of Thrór, King under the Mountain and mightiest of the Dwarf-lords. Thrór ruled with utter surety, never doubting his house would endure, for his line lay secure in the lives of his son and grandson. _

_Ah, Frodo, Erebor! Built deep within the mountain itself, the beauty of this fortress city was legend. Its wealth lay in the earth, in precious gems hewn from rock and in great seams of gold running like rivers through stone. The skill of the Dwarves was unequalled, fashioning objects of great beauty out of diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. Ever they delved deep, down into the dark and that is where they found it, the Heart of the Mountain! The Arkenstone. Thrór named it the King's Jewel. He took it as a sign, a sign that his right to rule was divine. All would pay homage to him, even the great Elven King, Thranduil. But the years of peace and plenty was not to last. Slowly, the days turned sour and the watchful nights closed in. _

_Thrór's love of gold had grown too fierce. A sickness had begun to grow within him. It was a sickness of the mind. And where sickness thrives, bad things will follow. The first they heard was a noise like a hurricane coming down from the North; the pines on the mountain creaked and cracked in the hot, dry wind. He was a fire-drake from the North. Smaug had come! Such wanton death was dealt that day, for this city of Men was nothing to Smaug. His eye was set on another prize. For dragons covet gold with a dark and fierce desire. Erebor was lost - for a dragon will guard his plunder as long as he lives. Thranduil would not risk the lives of his kin against the wrath of the dragon. No help came from the Elves that day... or any day since. Robbed of their homeland, the Dwarves of Erebor wandered the wilderness. A once mighty people brought low. The young Dwarf prince took work where he could find it, labouring in the villages of Men. But always he remembered the mountain smoke beneath the moon, the trees like torches blazing bright, for he had seen dragon-fire in the sky and a city turned to ash. And he never forgave... and he never forgot…._

_That, my dear Frodo, is where I come in, for quite by chance and the will of a Wizard, fate decided I would become part of this tale. It began...well, it began as you might expect. In a hole in a ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole full of worms and oozy smells. This was a hobbit-hole and that means good food, a warm hearth, and all the comforts of home… But I'm getting ahead of myself for there is another beginning to this adventure, one that begins in a world entirely different from our own….._

_.._

_._

Rowan yawned and stretched out on the bench looking out at the desolate patch of road that passed the bus station.

"When is this bus supposed to get here it's getting hot!" she groaned turning to the blond sitting next to her.

Elira sighed and pulled out a piece of paper looking over it.

"it should have been here 10 minutes ago" she said frowning "If it doesn't get here soon we'll miss the next junction of the road trip"

The brunette dug through her small backpack and pulled out a water bottle and her cell phone.

"I'm shocked Bozwin and Adara haven't called to check up on us yet" she laughed imagining her elderly guardians staring at the phone debating on whether to call. "well it better get here soon she said cus I'm starting to get lightheaded"

Elira nodded, she too had begun to feel dizzy.

The young woman brushed a few strands of hair out of her face as the wind suddenly began to pick up, stirring the leaves on the trees.

They both clutched onto the bench as the whole world began to spin around them. The last thing the pair heard was a voice carrying on the wind

_"I_ _think it is time you came home"_

_.0.0.0._

The first thing Rowan though was how uncomfortable the bench she was lying on was. Groaning she shifted around trying to get whatever was poking her pack to go away .

Finally with a loud frustrated groan she opened her eyes and looked around. There was no bench under her, only grass and a tree root which had been poking her back. Panic seized her as she looked around wildly

_"what the hell! When did I get to a forest!?_" she thought frantically.

Glancing around, she saw a small blond form sprawled out next to her on the ground.

"Eli wake up" she said shaking the other girl.

Elira sat up and blinked rapidly at the new surroundings.

"where are we?" she asked a hint of fear seeping into her voice.

"I have no idea but we better figure it out. Come on" The two got up and grabbed their small bags and wandered into the forest around them.


	2. a long way where?

**Disclaimer I do not own the Hobbit or P.J's movies**

**,**

**.**

Thorin sat outside of bag end looking out over the green village below. With a sigh he lit his pipe, chewing on the tip absentmindedly.

_"Mahls beard some thief this hobbit had turned out to be. Fainted at the slightest mention of the beast._" he thought.

He turned around as the door opened behind him, Dwalin and his nephews stood in the doorway.

"I suppose we should begin to organize our departure" Dwalin said crossing his arms over his chest.

Thorin nodded, casting a shifty glance at a passing hobbit who returned the stare.

"Let us find somewhere a bit more quite" Thorin said standing and heading down the path from Bagend motioning for the others to follow.

"we will have to depart just after first light" Thorin said "with or without master Baggins."

the others nodded

"Fili, Kili you will depart earlier and pick up the ponies."

"yes uncle"

"And what will we do if our burglar does not come?" Dwalin questioned "He did not seem too keen on the idea"

Thorin sighed "we will make do."

They had just reached the edge of the forest that surrounded the shire when a scream pierced the night.

...

...

...

Elira slouched against a tree , thumping the back of her head against it.

The two had been walking all day in search of some sign of civilization but had come up empty.

Rowan had been becoming increasingly anxious as the sun began to set, plunging them further and further into darkness.

Her head was ringing with all of Bozwin's wilderness survival tips he had shown her when they had gone camping.

"it is nearly impossible to find your way in the dark" Her guardian had told her as they hiked through the forest "never be without shelter past dark."

Rowan reached down into her bag until she felt the small wooden box. Carefully she opened it and took out a small dagger from within it. It had a gleaming blade etched with runes and the hilt had seams of bronze zig zigging through it in geometric patterns.

Bozwin had given it to her on her 20th birthday, he had told her it had belonged to her father.

She delicately ran her fingers over the flat of the blade, tracing the took the sheath and strapped it around her back sliding the blade into it.

It felt comforting to feel the small dagger pressed up against her back.

"Come on let's keep moving" she said brushing the dirt off her pants.

..

They walked for another hour or so before the sun completely set, leaving only the moonlight filtering down through the trees. After another few minutes they found themselves in a small clearing.

"That's it I give up" Rowan said flopping down on the ground, stretching her arms out behind her head.

"where do you think we are?" Elira asked as she sat down, staring up at the night sky "even the constellations aren't right"

"To be honest it have no idea." Rowan sighed as she looked up at the stars " I don't know what it is, but this place it feels... it feels well..."

"Different" Elira finished.

Rowan propped herself up to look at her "you can feel it too?"

"mmhmm..It feels strange... but at the same time almost familiar"

The two lapsed into silence. Rowan laid back down and shut her eyes trying to make sense of it all.

"What was that?"

Rowan's eyes snapped open

"what was what?" she asked sitting up right.

"I heard something in the tree line" Elira said pointing towards the darkened trees at the other end of the clearing.

The two sat perfectly still, both tense as they scanned the tree line.

The silence was overwhelming, they could hear no birds or even insects around them, only the sound of their hearts hammering in their chests.

Suddenly a rustle sounded from off to the side. Rowan and Elira bolted to their feet just as a large wolf bounded into the clearing.

Rowan stifled a scream as she caught a glimpse of the thing on top of the wolf; It looked like a man but horribly disfigured, its beady eyes gleaming as it watched them.

It grinned, shouting something in a strange language. To their horror two more wolves came bounding into the clearing each with another thing on its back.

Rowan backed away from the creatures, pulling Elira behind her. Reaching back she pulled the dagger from it sheath, thanking the almighty that Bozwin and Adara had insisted she pack it on her trip.

The three creatures fanned out around them, two of them dismounting their wolves.

Elira looked around her, rapidly searching for some sort of weapon to use.

She spied a small tree branch,grabbing it quickly . It wasn't much but at least it was something she thought

Her grip on the branch tightened as the creatures began to advance, pulling out grizzly looking swords.

The first one lunged at Rowan who rounded with a short kick. The creature stumbled a bit, growling out what Rowan could only assume was an insult.

It advanced at her again, this time it managing to knock her off her feet, sending her tumbling to the ground.

The creature was on top of her in a second, its hands around her throat.

Rowan struggled for air as it tightened its grip, her hands flailing about , trying to grasp the dagger that lay near her on the ground.

...

.

With a loud thwack, Elira smashed the tree branch into the nearest creature, sending it reeling backwards.

She heard the sounds of a scuffle behind her and decided to risk a glance while the creature was distracted.

Her eyes widened as she turned; one of the creatures was on top of Rowan, its hands wrapped tightly around her throat. Elira ran at the creature ,and with all of her strength slammed the branch into the side of it's head, knocking it to the side.

Rowan gasped for air at the sudden release, coughing as she groped around for her weapon.

Just as she wrapped her fingers around the hilt, the creature jumped on her a second time. She brought the dagger into the creature's skull with a sickening squelch.

Elira helped roll the body off of her as Rowan pulled her dagger free from its head.

She grimaced as she saw the second creature approaching them, the third rider dismounting just behind it.

Rowan pulled Elira behind her again, holding the dagger uncertainly in her hands as the two riders approached.

Elira struck first, swinging the branch at the creature closest to her. Rowan bracing herself as the other charged, holding a white knuckle grip on her knife.

Suddenly a growl close by caught her attention, she felt a flood of panic as she saw the wolfs beginning to approach.

The sound of the wolf snarling distracted Rowan for a moment too long. The rider lunged for her, slashing at her as she attempted to escape.

Elira screamed as she saw the creature lunge at Rowan, who narrowly jumped out of the way.

Rowan cursed as she touched her arm, a small trickle of blood seeping through her shirt.

The two creatures watched them, wicked smiles forming on their lips as the three wolves began stalking back and forth.

Rowan looked around wildly for an escape, a wave of fear crashing over her, there was no way out.

...

...

.

Thorin, Dwalin, Fili and Kili ran through the forest towards the scream. Their hearts racing as they raced to find the source hoping they were not too late, it had been a woman's scream, one of pure terror.

As they crashed through the woods they could hear something nearby. Breaking through the underbrush, the source of the scream; two women were being set upon by orcs.

The women were attempting to fend off their attackers, one of the women had a small dagger the other only a tree branch.

with a great war cry, the dwarves burst on the clearing surprising both the orcs and the women.

...

.

Rowan recovered from the shock of the new arrivals faster than the orcs. Using the time she shifted her position and wit all her might swung the blade at the creature in front of her, knocking it off balance as it recovered and charged again it suddenly stopped and dropped to the ground dead and arrow sticking out of its back.

Howling erupted in the clearing signaling that the wolfs had joined in the fray.

Rowan and Elira looked around the clearing watching with amazement at the skill of the men as they quickly dispatched the wolfs and the last rider.

Elira noticed Rowan gripping her bicep attempting to stem the small trickle of blood seeping into the sleeve of her shirt.

"Is it bad?" She asked worriedly trying to pry Rowan's hand away from it to get a better look.

Rowan shook her head "just a nick. what about you?"

"I'm alright just a few bumps and bruises"

...

...

.

After they had finished with the last warg and rider, the dwarfs then turned their attention to the two women.

When they looked over they saw the dark haired woman kneeling on the ground one hand clutching her arm, while the blond looked worriedly at her- The two speaking to each other in low voices.

Fili and Kili approached the two women first.

The two looked up, hearing their approach. The blond looked up at them with fear and apprehension in her large brown eyes, while the brunette stiffened at their approach, trying to shield the other woman the best she could, reminding Fili of a cornered animal.

Fili raised his hands in front of him, nudging his brother to do the same.

"It's alright" he said soothingly "were not going to hurt you".

The blond woman looked at her companion worriedly, then back at him.

"can you help us?" she asked apprehensively.

two women shrank back as Dwalin and Thorin approached

"They won't hurt you either" Kili added quickly

"Aye lass we're not gona harm ya" Dwalin said "but it looks like someone got to your friend there" .

"We can help her" Fili said looking at Thorin who nodded.

The two women whispered to each other for a moment before the blond turned to them and nodded.

Kili stepped towards her offering his hand

"Thank you for saving us" she said as she took it.

He smiled "Think nothing of it my lady".

Rowan pushed herself up off of her knees, rising uncertainly to her feet. Her exhausted body screaming in protest. She managed only to take a few steps forward before her legs gave out.

Fili quickly caught her before she could fall and helped her up, throwing her uninjured arm around his shoulders as he helped her stand. "we should hurry."


	3. a long way up

**Disclaimer I do not own the Hobbit or P.J's movies**

**.**

**.**

All heads turned when the group entered the hobbit hole.

"About time you lot got back,we were beginning to think you had started the quest without… MAHLS BEARD'!"exclaimed Bofur as he caught sight of the two women.

"Master Baggins, Gandalf, Oin!" Thorin called urgently.

The elderly healer came ambling out into the foyer followed by Gandalf and Bilbo- all of whom wore similar expressions of shock and concern upon seeing the newest guests.

Fili helped the young woman down in a near by arm chair so Oin could examine her wound.

"It does not appear to be too deep lass" he said "It'll have to be cleaned before I can do anything for it."

Oin turned to Bilbo expectantly.

"Oh, yes right theres two baths if you both would like to get washed up" Bilbo sputtered.

Elira, who had been standing next to the arm chair, turned and gave the small man a smile "that would be lovely Mr. ummh"

"Oh! Bilbo... Bilbo Baggins" the hobbit stuttered as he extended his hand.

"Right Mr. Bilbo" Elira said shaking his hand.

"sounds good" Rowan muttered tiredly

The young hobbit led his two new guest to their baths. The blond he gave the guest bath and brunette would use his own bath.

..

Elira sank into the water letting the heat warm her.

_"where are we"_ she wondered the days events rolling around in her mind .

Her thoughts were broken by a knock on the bathroom door

"yes?" she asked tentatively.

" I..er... found some fresh clothes for you" Bilbo called from the other side of the door " I'll lay them on the dresser for you" and with that he scurried from the room.

After she finished scrubbing all the dirt and grime off ,she wrapped herself in a towel and walked into the adjacent room.

she spied the cloths on the dresser and held them was a simple dark green skirt and a yellow quickly changed and crept out of the room unsure of where to go. loud voices carried down the hall and she decided to follow them.

As she walked down the corridor and old man dressed in grey rounded the corner.

"Ah you must be one of our new arrivals" he chuckled " I am Gandalf … Gandalf the grey"

"Its a pleasure sir" Elira replied "I'm Elira Leaflin"

Gandalf smiled "I would be very interested to hear about how you came to be in that clearing my dear, if you feel up to telling the tale"

Elira bit her lip unsure if she should tell the truth but then another thought struck her she had heard one of the men mention a wizard perhaps this man was him. and if so maybe he could help her and Rowan get home.

"I think we should probably find somewhere to sit down " Elira said and she followed the wizard into a near by sitting room.

...

.

"And thats how it happened" Elira said with a sigh.

she glanced nervously at the wizard anxious to see if he believed her.

"Hmm a very strange case indeed" Gandalf hummed to himself deep in thought "now tell me what did the voice sound like? was it a woman?"

Elira stared at him in shock "how did you.." she began but stopped as she heard footsteps coming into the room.

Her face lit up as she saw Rowan entering the room.

she too was wearing different clothes- she had kept the black leggings she had been wearing but now also wore a grey skirt that came to her knees and what looked to be a white short sleeved undershirt of some sort which exposed the long shallow cut running down her left arm.

Gandalf looked at the new comer and introduced himself in the same fashion that he had to Elira.

"Rowan … Rowan firebrand" she replied, fidgeting a bit under the old man's curious stare .

The wizard continued to stare at the pair pensively for another moment before a voice broke the silence.

"Mr. Gandalf have you seen…oh never mind" Kili said coming to a halt in the entrance to the room .

He looked at the two women and smiled "Kili. at your service" he said with a bow.

"Kili did you find….. oh never mind" Fili said stopping next to his brother

"Fili at your service" he said bowing as well.

"Oh,well I'm Elira"

"And I'm Rowan"

"It is a pleasure to meet you lady Elira and lady Rowan" kili said "lady Rowan Oin our healer would like to dress your wound, and any injuries you may have sustained as well lady Elira."

"Oh right, yeah" Rowan said looking down at her arm.

The two women followed the brothers down the hall to the main section of the hobbit hole where the other members of the company were milling about.

"Ah there you are lass come sit here" a grey haired dwarf said motioning to a bench pulled back a bit from the large wood table.

Rowan sat down extending her arm to the dwarf who began pulling out supplies .

"Oin at your service" he said bowing from where he sat.

"Ah well I do believe some introductions are in order" Gandalf said, entering the room.

"well I'm Oin and that over there is Gloin" said the grey haired healer.

"Bofur at your service" shouted a dwarf wearing a floppy hat from across the room.

"Bombur" said a large dwarf from the kitchen "and this is Bifer" he said gesturing to another dwarf near by.

"Dori at your service" said another dwarf carrying a pot of tea "and these are my brothers Nori and Ori".

"Balin at your service" said a kind looking white haired dwarf.

"Dwalin" grunted a large dwarf from the corner.

Elira recognized him as one of the dwarfs who had rescued her and Rowan earlier.

"Fili" said the blond dwarf who kissed both girls hands

"and Kili " said the brunette brother mimicking his brothers actions

"at your service again" they said in unison.

The two women then turned to the last dwarf, who had also been in the clearing, who was standing next to Gandalf in the corner.

"Thorin Oakenshied" he said merely nodding his head in their direction.

Elira felt all eyes go to her as everyone waited for her to introduce herself.

"Elira Leaflin...um at your service? " she said with a smile, mimicking the greeting the others had used.

Unable to stand at the moment, Rowan nodded at them all from where she sat "Rowan firebrand... at your service".

"I'm sorry lass what did you say your surname was? " asked Balin leaning in towards her

"uhh Firebrand" Rowan said caught off guard by the question.

The old dwarf stared at her for a moment with the same curious look that Gandalf had earlier.

"There you go lass ,good as new" Oin said as he tied off the bandage

"Thank you very much mister Oin" Rowan said, turning to give him a small bow.

when she turned back she noticed both Gandalf and Thorin were missing.

"why don't I find you something to eat? Im sure you both are hungry" Bilbo offered, smiling at the two women.

...

.

After they had finished eating, Kili had offered to show Elira where she could find some tea, leaving Rowan alone to wander about the home. she finally found a comfortable chair in front of the fire and relaxed into it.

As she gazed into the fire, she absent mindedly ran her fingers across the necklace she wore. it was a diamond shaped locket made of silver with intricate designs set around the border in the center it had a flat opal in the shape of a sparrow taking flight. clamped on one side of the chain was a small silver bead with intricate markings going around it.

"That's a beautiful necklace lass"

Rowan jumped at the voice and looked over to see Balin smiling at her.

"Oh why thank you it was my mothers" She said taking off the necklace to show the dwarf.

Balin carefully took the necklace in his hands turning it over studying the piece carefully.

He then took notice of the small bead on the chain. his brow furrowed as he examined it. looking back at the young woman in front of him he paused to study her features.

She had brown hair that fell down past her shoulder blades in soft curls, deep light blue eyes and slightly tanned skin dotted with freckles.

The old dwarf returned the necklace to Rowan giving her a smile

"You said it was your mothers? does that mean she has passed?" he asked

Rowan gave him a sad smile "Yes both of my parents died when I was young. I was raised by two close family friends after they passed. This necklace and my fathers dagger are all I have left of them"

Balin put a hand on her shoulder "I am truly sorry for your loss lass" he said

"Thank you Balin" Rowan said giving him a small smile.

...

...

.

Back in a small side room Gandalf, Thorin, and Dwalin sat.

"Absolutely not" Thorin growled at the wizard "The hobbit is a bad enough burden but now you want me to take two women?"

"I believe Elira and Rowan have proven that they can take care of themselves and will be great assets on this quest" the wizard countered. " You must trust that I know what I am doing Thorin really. I believe there is more to these two than meets the eye".

Thorin sighed and opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Balin entering the room.

" I believe we have a problem lads." He said staring at his brother and Thorin.


	4. a long way to go

**Disclaimer I don't own the hobbit or P.J'S movies**

"Are you sure?" Thorin asked skeptically.

Balin nodded "the evidence is staring us in the face"

"And what evidence would that be?" Thorin interjected.

"earlier when I saw her in the study I was able to take a look at that necklace she wears it was obviously dwarf made but what tipped me off was the charm attached to the chain" He looked at the others for a moment before continuing "It was a hair bead ... one that bears the insignia of the Firebrand clan upon it."

"There is no denying she is the splitting image of Mira" Dwalin said with a sigh "But can it really be her? she was reported dead. everything pointed to it."

"I Believe I can shed some light on this" said Gandalf shifting in his chair "you see long ago I was called to Rivendell on urgent business. Upon my arrival I learned why I was summoned. Lord Elrond showed me to a room in which I met a young dying woman and a little girl. I learned that the woman was Mira Firebrand she begged me to send her daughter somewhere where she would be safe. So after much research Lord Elrond and I discovered a way to send the child and her new guardians to another world."

No one spoke for a few moments as the dwarfs absorbed the new revelation.

"So it is really her then?" Dwalin said slowly.

"yes master dwarf I believe so" Gandalf replied before turning to Thorin " thus to aid in this quest is her birthright."

The dwarfs eyes narrowed at the wizard and he opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything the door burst opened and Rowan stormed in.

...

.

Rowan had been passing the time wandering around the hobbit hole exploring its many passages. She had found 3 pantries a wine cellar 2 guest rooms and a storage closet so far. She decided to turn left at a fork in the passage and followed down a hall lined with doors.

Her ears pricked up as the sound from muffled voices could be heard from behind a door to her right. She bit her lip wrestling with her conscious about the merit of ease dropping . She contemplated for another moment before her curiosity got the better of her.

Slowly and silently she pressed an ear against the wooden door.

...

.

"What do you mean its my birth right!?" Rowan half yelled at the wizard " Do you know something about what happened to us!"

The wizard sighed and told her what he had told the dwarfs earlier.

"So I'm from Middle earth?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"indeed my dear you are." Gandalf replied.

The young woman was silent for a moment. She stared at the ground mulling over the wizards words in her mind.

Rowan looked up at them again "what about Elira?" she asked.

"what about Me'' a voice asked from the door way.

The group turned to see Elira standing in the door way.

Rowan filled her friend in on what she had learned before the two turned back to the wizard.

"So am I also from here ?" Elira asked.

The wizard smiled "Indeed you are my dear. your parents came to Lord Elrond and I from Lothlorine seeking safety for you. So once again we opened the void to the other world and sent you three through."

"Lothlorine? so the lass is an elf then?" Balin asked.

"partly master dwarf. Elira your mother was an Elf and your father human so to be precise my dear you are half human half Elf." the wizard said.

Elira reached up and touched her slightly pointed ears.

"And Rowan my dear your are half dwarf half human." Gandalf said turning to the brunette.

"So my mother was a dwarf then?" she asked

"Nay lass it was your father who was one of our race" Dwalin said.

Rowan swung around to face him. "you knew my father?" she asked excitedly

"Aye lass I did" the tattooed dwarf said.

Before she could continue gandlaf cleared his throat " I do think it would be wise for everyone to turn in for the night." he turned to face the two women " tomorrow you will accompany Fili and Kili to town so you both can get some traveling cloths and supplies"

"But how are we to pay for them ?" Rowan asked

"Leave that to me my dear now off you go. Bilbo is just down the hall he can show you to your rooms".

The two women reluctantly left and went down the hall to find Bilbo.

"You do not wish for her to know all that happened then? She will have questions." Thorin asked staring incredulously at Gandalf.

The old wizard sighed "I have no intention of keeping those events from her. But for right now she is dealing with enough surprises for one day. "

...

.

Rowan awoke to the sound of knocking on her door.

"Lady Rowan it is time to wake up. We will be leaving for Bree soon" Fili called through the door.

Down the hall Elira was getting a similar wake up call from Kili.

The two girls dressed in their borrowed clothes and went to go meet the brothers out front. When they got out side they saw the two standing next to a pair of ponies one black and one brown. At the sound of their approach the two siblings turned around.

"Ah good morning ladies" kili said with a sweeping bow "your fine steeds await"

"we could only find two ponies in the shire so we'll have to share" Fili said motioning to the two ponies behind him.

Kili strolled over to Elira and kissed her hand "My lady will you do me the honor of riding with me?" he asked.

Elira blushed a small tingling sensation rolled down her spine as she looked into his deep brown eyes.

" y..yes of course" she squeaked.

Taking his hand as he led her to the black pony And began to help her mount.

Fili glanced over at Rowan "Guess its you and me then my lady" He said with a grin offering his hand to her

"looks that way. And you don't have to call me lady Rowan. just call me Rowan." she said with a grin.

"As you wish."

To his surprise she was able to mount the pony by her self with just a little boost from him.

Fili slid onto the pony in front of her and grabbed the reigns " have you ridden before Rowan?"

"All my life, Bozwin was a ferrer so I grew up around horses" Rowan replied with a shrug " though I doubt Elira is doing as well. Shes never been on a horse before"

"That could be problematic, though I'm sure my brother will be more than glad to let her ride with him during the journey"

Rowan laughed "Oh I bet he would".

...

.

It had been a successful trip into town; Fili and kili had purchased the last if the supplies for the journey and the additional ponies that they needed.

Rowan and Elira had also been successful. They had each gotten bags for their clothing and supplies as well as traveling cloaks one grey (Rowans) and one deep green (Eliras) a few new pants and shirts sturdy boots and jackets .

They had also bought traveling supplies to go along with some of the things they already had from their bags from their world.

Rowan had also visited the armory with Fili and bought a small bow and arrow and some vambrances. She also purchased a knife for Elira.

...

.

Upon their return they found the rest of the company awake sitting down to breakfast.

"Ah such a love lovely sight to see in the morning" said Bofur greeting the two women as they entered the kitchen.

"Oh Bofur you warm my heart with your flattery, Its good to know someone around here notices my good looks" Fili joked as he entered the room, earning him a chorus of mocking cat calls and whistles.

after breakfast the company dispersed to ready their bags and saddle their ponies.

Rowan and Elira met in the hall out side their rooms after they had finished packing.

"Are you ready for this?' Rowan asked with a weak smile.

Elira gave a small grin back "well you did promise an adventure when we set off on this vacation" she said "I just didn't think it'd be so literal"

The two laughed before turning and heading down the hall and out the door to where the ponies were.

"yours are over there." Thorin called to them as they came nearer.

He motioned to two ponies standing in the middle of the pack. one was a deep chestnut color with whit markings on its forehead. the other was a golden blond with little white tuffs at its hoofs.

Rowan patted the chestnut pony and smiled "who's a good boy?" she said stroking its nose.

Turning she called to Fili " what are their names?"

"Yours is Cian and Elira yours is Eimhim"

Elira had just finished tying her saddle bags when she heard thorin call

"Time to move out!" she pushed one foot into the stirrup like Kili had showed her and attempted to swing up into the saddle. she got halfway up before she lost the momentum and landed back on her feet.

"here ya go lass" Bofur said as he gave her a boost up onto the pony.

"Thanks"

"think nothing of it." he said tipping his hat at her.

finally all the ponies fell into line and the company set off on their journey.

.

_A/N ; hey guys so just a quick note if you were wondering Cian means ancient or elder and Eimhim means swift in Irish!_

_and thanks to everyone who reviewed!_


	5. A long way ago

Elira couldn't help but think about what the wizard had said to Bilbo after he can finally caught up with them.

"_Home is behind you. The world is ahead_".

The words applied to her and Rowan as well she thought.

She shifted in her saddle uncomfortably, they had been riding all day with few breaks and she was beginning to feel its ill effects.

Elira had never ridden a horse before, though she had always wanted to but sadly she had been too small as a child to be able to properly ride a horse, but she was learning quick thanks to Rowan and the dwarfs.

Elira looked over at Rowan who was riding up ahead of Elira trying to help Bilbo ride his pony. Rowan laughed as the poor hobbit nearly fell off his mount from fright when the pony nickered at him and shook its head; still laughing she grabbed the reigns for him as he righted himself in the saddle and went on with the lesson. Elira watched the pair for a moment thought Rowan looked relaxed Elira could tell that she was tense.

The information that they had learned over the last day and a half weighed heavily on both of them and now they were on a dangerous quest wherein the end they may have to face a dragon.

She leaned back in the saddle and blew out a sigh

"Is something wrong miss?"

Elira looked over at the young quiet dwarf next to her.

"Oh no, my legs are a bit sore that is all…..Ori right?"she asked giving him a smile.

Ori beamed at her and nodded "I was wondering...would you mind if I asked you some more about the other world?" he asked.

At this most of the company stopped their individual conversations and leaned in to listen. They were all very curious about the strange other world that the two woman had lived in.

For the first part of the day the company had berated the two women with questions, but most of the time their question would lead to about five more and need tedious explanation of things like electricity, computers, cars and so on.

They had stopped asking after rowan's patience wore too thin and she had snapped on Thorin who had asked if she was a witch while she was telling a story about fixing her car. Since then she had been riding alongside Gandalf and Bilbo, the three of them conversing among themselves.

"Of course not Ori." She said smiling "what do you want to know?".

"Well you said earlier that you were on a road trip while on a….a break before you got here. What were you on a break from?" he asked pulling out his little note book ready to scribble down her answer.

"Oh we were on break from university"

"And what would that be?" Gloin asked from somewhere ahead.

Elira though for a moment before answering "it's a big school where people go to study after their primary education for a career and once you're done there you go and get a job in that field generally."

"So you learn your trade there?" Ori asked

"yes… it's pretty much like that I suppose" Elira said.

"What trade did you study lass?" Balin asked from up near the front.

"I was studying history and a minor in teaching. I wanted to teach high school History." She said happily.

"Aye it is an important thing to learn" the white haired dwarf said nodding.

"What about you Rowan?" Bofur called out.

Rowan turned in her saddle, letting her pony drop back a bit.

"What about me?" she asked confused.

"What trade did you study at the university?"

"Oh I studied Athletic Training with a minor in emergency medicine"

"So you were to be a healer then?" Dwalin asked her.

"Yes. It's a certain type of healer one who deals with injuries to people who participate in sports ya know ; taping ankles, splinting, head injuries, pulled muscles, sprains, strains, doing wraps. Things like that" she said.

The dwarfs stared at her their brows furrowed in confusion.

Rowan sighed "yes I was studying to be a healer, but one who learned more emergency medicine and rehabilitation than medical practices"

"Ahh it seems like you loved it." Bofur said.

Rowan grinned "I really did. It's my passion."

"So do you start your trade when you come of age like we dwarfs?" asked Gloin

"umm I guess you could say that. Well there's no set age but most people begin university at 18 or 19" Elira shrugged

"So how old does that make you miss" asked Ori timidly.

"Well I'm 22 and Rowan is 23" she said.

The company gasped, a look of scandal written across most of their faces.

"My beard you're just a child!" Bofur gasped.

Elira frowned "how old are all of you then?"

"I am 178" Balin said "Dwalin here is 169 and Thorin is 165".

It was Elira's turn to gasp "what about you two?" she asked Kili and Fili.

"I am 82 Kili is 77- he's the baby here; even Ori's got him beat at 79"

"so you can see our point here lass you are but a child" Balin said.

"Yes but you forget master dwarf that here is half elf" Gandalf interrupted.

"So she is immortal then? That makes her even more so of a young one" Dori said worriedly.

"No master dwarf she is not immortal for she is still half human. Though she will live much longer than any human I would wager she will live to at least 165"

Elira nearly choked

"and as for Miss. Firebrand the only other half dwarf I ever knew of lived to be 130 though given her lineage I would venture to say somewhere around 150 if not more. So as you can see they are not children given their life span."

...

..

They rode for a bit more before Thorin called for them to set up camp on a near buy raised slab of rock.

After dinner the company began to spread out their bed rolls. A few of the dwarfs pulled out pipes and lit them filling the air with a faint smell of tobacco and ash. Rowan sat against the wall of the stone out crop and laid her head back against the cool stone. She was dead tired.

She cast a glance around her before slipping a hand under the collar of her tunic and unclasping her necklace. She held it in her hand running a finger over the opal bird before unhinging the small lock that kept it shut. She stared at the small portraits in side of it. One was a photograph of her Bozwin and Adara at her 20th birthday on the other was a portrait drawing of her as a young child with her parents.

The man and the woman in the portrait smiled back at her. She smiled and closed the locket placing it back under her shirt just as Elira Kili and Fili came and sat down next to her.

Kili was asking Elira about how her first day on horseback was when a screech pierced through the night.

Rowan immediately tensed putting a hand to the outer thigh where her dagger was now sheathed.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked scampering back into camp.

"Orcs" Kili said.

Rowan was on edge now her hand had a white knuckle grip on the hilt of the dagger. Flashes of those creatures erupted in her mind. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Elira was scanning the tree line around them worriedly searching for orcs.

"Throat cutters" Fili added "there'll be dozens of them out there".

"They strike in the wee small hours while every ones asleep. Quick and quiet no screams- just lots of blood" Kili finished the fire light casting ominous shadows across his face.

Every nerve in Rowans body was standing on end waiting for the danger to strike. The cut on her arm was beginning to have a dull ach from her muscles tensing. Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the two brothers laughing.

_ 'This was all a joke?!'._

Her anger it appeared, was shared by Thorin.

"Do you think that's funny!? Do you think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" he seethed at his nephews.

The two brothers bowed their heads

"we didn't mean anything by it." Kili said apologetically.

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world." He growled before turning and storming off to the rocks edge.

'_He kinda looks like batman over there….' _Rowan thought looking at Thorin.

She turned her attention back to the rest of the company as Balin began to tell them of the battle of Azanulbizar .

"And the pale orc what happened to him?" Bilbo asked once Balin had finished.

The old dwarf opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Thorin as he re-entered the camp.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago."

...

.

After things had died down Elira stood and stretched moving to her bed roll to go to sleep. The young half elf frowned as she stared down at the ground where her bed roll had been.

"Looking for something?" a low voice called nearby. She looked over to see Kili and her missing bed roll.

"Yes I am. Though it would be easier if someone didn't take it in the first place." She said rolling her eyes.

"I did not steal it I merely relocated it to a safer place." The young prince replied with a grin.

"Oh really" Elira said quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh aye, there is no safer place then right next to me" he replied winking at her.

"I am sorry for scaring you it was not our intent we only wished to have a little fun with Bilbo I could see how you were after Fili and I talked about orcs." He said quietly, moving closer to her ". You needn't be afraid. I give you my word- I will keep you safe on this quest".

Elira was thankful that the fire had begun to die out leaving little light to reveal the blush tinting her cheeks. "

Will you teach me to shoot?" she asked looking up at him. "I want to be able to defend myself when the time comes."

"Of course, we shall begin in a few days if you so wish." He replied.

They continued to stare at each other until the moment was disturbed by Rowans angry voice from somewhere behind them.

"You bastard! I had a spot right next to the fire now Bomburs gone and taken it!".

"I was merely moving it to a safer..offfff" Fili's response was cut off by a pillow smacking into his face.

Kili grinned broadly and his body began to shake with silent laughter "it looks as if this didn't go as well for my brother"


	6. a long way till dawn

"Here, Mr. Gandalf? Can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori called as the rain continued to pour down, soaking the company to the bone.

"It is raining, master dwarf. And it will continue to rain until the rain is done! If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard!" some of the company grumbled at this muttering about just how useful this wizard was.

"Are there any?" asked Bilbo perking up.

"What?"

"Other wizards?"

Gandalf nodded "There are five us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, The White. Then there are the two blue wizards. Do you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo asked

"Well, that would be Radagast, The Brown."

Bilbo cocked his head "Is he a great wizard or is he...more like you?"

A rash of snickering could be heard throughout the company.

Rowan nearly fell off her horse in shock at the generally timid hobbits sarcastic remark.

"**I** think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forestlands to the East, and a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world." Gandalf answered grumpily.

After a while the rain subsided and the sun began to peek out again through the clouds. A few hours before dusk the company came across a field with the ruins of a farm house in it.

"we'll make camp here for the night." Thorin called out "Fili Kili look after the ponies, make sure you stay with them."

The rest of the company set to work making camp as Thorin marched over to Gandalf, who was examining the dilapidated remains of the old farm house.

"A farmer and his family used to live here" Gandalf murmured as Thorin approached. Turning to the would be kind he continued " I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the hidden valley"

"I have told you I will not go near that place!" Thorin snapped.

"and why not the elves cold help us; we could get food rest advice!" Gandalf countered

Thorin rounded on him "help what help do the elves give. A dragon attacks Erebor the elves looked on and did nothing orcs plunder Moria desecrate our sacred halls what help came from the elves then? You ask me to seek help from the very people who betrayed my grandfather, my father?"

Gandalf sighed "you are neither of them. I did not give you that map and key to hold on to the past!"

"I did not know they were yours to keep!" Thorin shouted back.

By this time the whole company was watching the argument.

"Gandalf where are you going" Bilbo asked as the wizard stormed past them

"to seek the company of the only one around here who has any sense!"

"and whose that?"

"My self-master Baggins! I've had enough of dwarfs for one day!"

the company watched as the wizard strode away a slight sense of unease settled down on them.

"Come on Bombur were hungry" Thorin called, sending the company shuffling back to setting up camp.

Elira wondered over to Bombur who was pulling out pots from a saddle bag.

"Do you need help preparing dinner?" she asked startling the dwarf, who had not heard her approach.

"Oh my! What…. Oh yes, yes that would be wonderful thank you. If you would like you can start by setting out snares with Nori and Ori."

He said gesturing to the two brothers who were standing nearby. Elira nodded "but I don't know how to set snares" she admitted.

"That's fine I'm sure they wouldn't mind showing you how." The round dwarf laughed.

Elira then set off to where the two dwarfs were standing Nori giving instructions to his brother while Ori looked at a sheet of paper. They both turned upon hearing her approach.

"Hello Elira" Ori greeted "can we help you with something?"

"Actually it's the other way around" Elira laughed "I'm here to help you set snares, though I may need some instruction."

Nori nodded and motioned for Ori and Elira to follow him into the woods. The brothers showed Elira how to set basic snares and where to place them. It was frustrating painfully tedious work trying to get the snares set right but Elira didn't mind, she wanted to be useful to the company and not a burden. She could not fight like the dwarfs or navigate like Gandalf so she had made it her goal to find some way to be useful.

...

Rowan emerged from the woods and sauntered the camp after finishing tying up the last pony . Her brow furrowed as she looked around the camp.

"Where's Eli?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Don't worry lass she is fine. She went to help Ori and Nori set snares." Bofur said.

Rowan nodded and plopped down on the ground near him. Leaning back on the log Bofur was sitting on she pulled out her dagger and a whetting stone and began to sharpen the knife.

"So do you know how to use that thing or is it just for show." Said Dwalin sitting on a log across from Rowan.

"I do mister Dwalin, Though truthfully not as well as I would like, but in a fight it is enough to give me a chance."

"so you've had training in battle then?" Balin asked

"Well I wouldn't call it that. Bozwin taught me a sword play growing up and Adara taught me to use a bow but most of it I have forgotten over the years. But as I said before it's sufficient enough."

"So you think you know enough to survive? Well let's put it to the test" Dwalin said pulling his ax from behind the log.

Rowan stared at the dwarf debating the offer. She knew she should decline given the massive disadvantage she would be at, but she decided to ignore that thought.

"Very well I accept. though don't think an ax versus a dagger is really a fair fight." Rowan said eyeing the burly dwarf.

"Aye I have to agree with the lass tis hardly a fair fight" Balin said shaking his head.

"Here you may use this "

Rowan turned to see Thorin holding one of Fili's spare swords. She took the blade and unsheathed it. It weighed more than Rowan had expected and her arm faltered a bit at the weight. Slowly she swung at the air testing the weight.

"Are you sure this is wise?" Balin whispered to Thorin.

Thorin shrugged " Dwalin knows to exercise restraint when sparing with younger opponents. And she took the challenge so I say we see if she inherited her father's fighting ability."

Dwalin and Rowan moved to a bare part of the clearing. The sun was beginning to set leaving the field bathed in twilight. The rest of the company Bilbo included circled around the two to watch. Rowan stood on edge watching the Dwarf in front of her carefully tying to read his first move. Her whole body tense with anticipation. Then without warning Dwalin charged at her sending Rowan scrambling back dodging his ax.

She tried to pull up everything she could remember from Bozwins lessons about fighting. She quickly shot straight back and to the left swinging her sword at her opponents mid-section. A loud clang resounded in the field as ax met sword.

"You'll have to do better than that lass" Dwalin chuckled as he swiftly pulled his ax up ward, the force causing Rowan to lose the grip on her left hand as her right struggled to wield the heavy sword on its own. Quickly the dwarf swung at her taking advantage of her lessened grip. Rowan barely had time to bring her right hand up before the ax came crashing down. The force of the blow resonated from the sword though her arm and into her whole body sending her crashing backwards.

Rowan winced. She knew the dwarf had pulled back on the blow after it had connected with her sword. If it had been a real fight she would have been seriously injured. Pushing those thoughts from her mind she looked for her next move.

The large dwarf stood over her chuckling as he prepared to make his final 'blow'

Rowan grinned as she spotted her opportunity, quickly she kicked at the dwarf's leg, feeling a sense of pride when her leg connect against something solid. The dwarf grunted and faltered back but continued his approach. Rowan quickly stumbled to her feet, both hands back on her weapon.

...

Elira Ori and Nori entered back in to the clearing only to find their camp empty. Looking over they saw their companions gathered around in the out skirts of the field and jogged over to see what was going on.

Elira came up behind Bilbo and was about to ask what was happening when she saw what everyone was looking at. Rowan stood at one end of the circle dirt covering her shirt and smudged on her face breathing heavily. She was holding a large sword with both hands glaring at Dwalin who was holding a large ax. She gasped as the large dwarf charged at rowan.

"Bilbo what on earth is happening!?" she yelled to the hobbit.

"Oh hello Elira. This? Well Mr. Dwalin challenged Rowan to a fight. And I must say she is doing quite well."

Elira watched the fight worriedly. '_What are they thinking those are real blades one slip up and they could die'!_

The fight did not last for much longer much to Elira's relief. After a few more clashes- one of which Rowan had landed a blow with the flat of her blade- Dwalin and Rowan found themselves locked against each other weapons pressed together each vying for give in the others hold. Unfortunately for Rowan the dwarf was much stronger than her and managed to disarm her knocking her off balance, landing on her back.

The company clapped and cheered for the two opponents and bag of coins were exchanged as they went back to the camp for dinner.

"Alright lass lets get you up" Dwalin said offering the young woman his hand pulling her up to her feet . "That was a good job lass. Your guardian taught you well." He said with a smile.

" yah well not enough, I know you pulled a few of those blows." Rowan said a bit bitterly. She looked up at the dwarf "will you teach me to fight?" she asked.

"Aye I suppose I could. But be warned my training isn't easy and I won't make exceptions because you're a lass." The dwarf answered warningly.

" I wouldn't want you to" rowan said grinning. With that she turned on her heels and walked back to camp meeting up with Elira half way.

"Definitely her father's daughter" Balin said with a chuckle as he and Dwalin walked back together.

"Aye that she is"

...

.

Most of the company had finished eating and were cleaning up dinner and beginning to set up their bed rolls when Kili and Fili crashed into the camp.

"Trolls….Bilbo" wheezed Fili.

"What? What's happened" asked Thorin rushing over to his nephews

"trolls took some ponies… Bilbo's gone after them" Kili elaborated.

The rest of the company jumped to their feet grabbing weapons. Rowan re- sheathed the dagger and shouldered her bow. Thorin looked at her and it seems he was about to tell her to stay put but the glare she sent him seemed to change his mind. Elira grabbed her daggers as well wrapping the belt around her so they sat on either hip.

Rowan turned to her "I'm not even going to bother to try to ask you not to come but please stay towards the back and if something goes wrong run."

The company crashed through the woods in search of the trolls. Thorin motioned for them to slow down as they reached a lit clearing up ahead and they crouched down low and watched as Bilbo was dangled by the trolls who threatened to hold his toes over the fire.

Kili could not wait any longer. He charged into the clearing "drop him!" he demanded. The troll looked down at him " you what?" it asked.

"I said drop him!" Kili yelled. The troll flung Bilbo at Kili who dropped his sword just in time to catch the hobbit. Thorin singled the company and they charged into the clearing with a great shout.

...

The fight did not last very long. Per Rowans request Elira stayed towards the back of the fight managing to get a few good stabs in. feeling a small bubble of pride when she heard one of the trolls yell in pain when she jammed her knife into its foot. She was forced to jump out of the way and into the bushes as a large hand lashed out at her.

She was just about to jump back into the clearing when she heard "lay down your arms or we'll rip his off" she peeked through the bush to see the company throwing their weapons down.

'_what do I do I cant take on three trolls by my self' _ she thought. _' Gandalf I must find Gandalf'._

Silently She set off through the woods finding the camp then setting off in the direction the wizard had stormed off in. The longer she searched the more panic began to set in

' _what if I cant find him'._

She began to cook up different plans in her head of how to save the company. She was so focused on the plans that she didn't notice that she was about to run into a tree. Startled from the impact Elira took a few steps back.

"well my dear I certainly didn't expect to find you out here" a voice said chuckling . Elira looked up and realized it was not a tree but Gandalf.

"Gandalf! Thank goodness we must hurry the company they have been captured by trolls!"

the wizard frowned and hurriedly followed Elira back to the clearing.

"My dear I need you to make sure that Bilbo keeps the trolls distracted while I get to the rock" he said to her before disappearing into the trees. Elira watched anxiously as Bilbo talked to the trolls.

"you think I don't know what you're up to?" one of them boomed "this ferret is taking us for fools!"

Elira realized the trolls had caught on to Bilbo's scheme. There was only one thing left to do she sprang from her hiding spot and up onto a nearby rock.

"looks like you missed one!" she called to the trolls who turned to look at her. She was forced to duck back into the trees to evade the trolls grasp as all tree reached for her.

"The dawn will take you all" she heard Gandalf voice boom.

Talking that as a sign that all was safe Elira came back into the clearing. She gazed in amazement at the trolls which were now made of stone.

"Trolls one weakness" Gandalf said coming along side of her "sun light will turn them to stone".

Elira set to work freeing the members of the company who were in sacks while Gandalf rescued those who were tied to an enormous roasting split.

"I'm glad to see you listen to me occasionally" Rowan said with a grin, as her friend cut her loose .


	7. a long needed break

_._

**_Hey guys sorry for the log time in between updates. I've been swamped with classes and skating and work! Thanks to everyone who has followed and reviewed. So here's the latest chapter, were finally going to get some romance going!_**

* * *

.

.

Gandalf tapped one of the now stone trolls with his staff and smiled a bit. The old wizard was quite pleased with himself.

"Where did you go to if I may ask?" Thorin asked, strolling over to him

"To look ahead."

"And what brought you back?"

"Looking behind" Gandalf answered with a small grin.

Thorin couldn't help but grin back at him. '_Never expect a straight answer from a wizard'_ he thought.

"Still all in one piece" Gandalf said looking around at the company who were spread about the clearing some putting back on layers and weapons others checking for and harm to themselves.

Thorin scoffed "no thanks to your burglar"

Gandalf gave him a raised eyebrow "he had the nerve to play for time…. None of the rest of you thought of that." The last part of his sentence, Thorin couldn't help but notice, carried a bit of sass with it.

"These trolls must have come down from the Etton moors." Gandalf said turning his attention to the stone trolls once more

"Since when do mountain trolls venture this far south?" Thorin questioned for he too was curious as to why they had come across the trolls in the lowlands of the great east road.

Gandalf turned to face him "oh not for an age" he answered his brow furrowed and when he spoke again his voice was tinged with a hint of concern "not since a darker power ruled these lands"

Thorin looked up at the wizard, alarm etched on his face. For a moment the two stood in tense silence before Gandalf spoke again "they could have not moved in daylight"

"There must be a cave nearby." Thorin said looking around them.

...

.

Elira slouched back against a tree and closed her eyes. Even now her heart was still fluttering from all the adrenalin pumping through her veins. She had just face three trolls on her own!

She smiled inwardly '_at least I'm not a burden now!'_.

After she had helped free them many members of the company had thanked her for helping to save them. Even Thorin had said his thanks to her!

Her eyebrows furrowed as something moved in front of her, blocking out the sun in front of her. Slowly she opened one eye. Kili was crouched in front of her with a small frown on his face.

"are you alright?" he asked as his eyes flitting over her, searching for any signs of harm.

"Good lord!" she said exasperatedly "you're worse than Rowan!" rolling her eyes she continued "I'm fine really. I'm not made of porcelain you know."

Kili's face softened, the frown turning into a playful grin. He leaned in closer and took her chin in between his fingers.

"With skin as fair and beautiful as yours I would beg to differ." He said in a low rumbling voice.

Elira felt her face heat up. She prayed no one else could see the massive blush that had ignited in her cheeks. Just as she opened her mouth to reply Thorin began addressing the company.

Kili stood from his crouched position and offered Elira his hand to help her up. Together they walked over to where the others were gathering to hear their king's directions.

"Since our night was without rest we shall return to camp and rest for an hour or so then attempt to find the troll's hoard"

This was met with nods and murmurs of agreement from the rest of the company, all of whom were exhausted after their night of nearly being eaten.

...

.

Rowan couldn't sleep she laid on her bed roll near staring up at the canopy of trees. The chorus of snores told her that the rest of the company was having no trouble sleeping. With a frustrated huff she sat up. Looking around confirmed that besides her only one other person was awake. She stood taking her blanket with her and walked over to where Fili was sitting keeping watch. When they had gotten back to camp earlier Thorin had given watch duty to his nephews as punishment for not watching the ponies. It seemed that the eldest brother had taken the first watch.

Fili turned to look at her when she sat down. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked smiling at her.

"I can't sleep" the half dwarf muttered back

Fili looked back at her in confusion. Concern evident in his voice "is something wrong? Were you injured in the fight?"

When Rowan looked up at him she was startled to find that he had closed the gap between them and was now staring at her worriedly. His large hazel eyes searching her face for some sign of a problem.

Rowan laughed quietly "calm down before you have an aneurysm, I'm not injured just a few scratches and bumps. My first war wounds." She said grinning

Fili chuckled "very impressive. So what keeps you awake then?"

"I'm too damn cold to sleep" she said irritably glancing up at the sun; for despite the fact that it was day time the chill of the night still hung in the air.

Fili looked at her and noticed what was missing.

"Where is your coat?" he asked seeing she was only in her tunic, her ever present coat absent from her attire.

Rowan pointed over to another log nearby where he could see her coat draped over it. It looked damp and had pine needles strewn over it.

"It smells like troll" Rowan said "I was wearing it when we got shoved into those sacks. Dori helped me wash it quickly and told me to rub pine needles to try to get the smell out."

"So I figured I'd keep you and Kili company during you watches." She finished turning back to him.

As she turned she felt something heavy on her shoulders and looked over to see Fili placing his heavy fur line coat around her. She was going to protest but Fili spoke first.

"You need to sleep Rowan." Fili said looking at her seriously. "I know you have not been sleeping much since we began this journey. I can hear you turning about in your sleep and lately you have been constantly taking watches for others. Why?"

Rowan pulled the coat around her and looked at the ground her voice barely above a murmur. "I've been having dreams ever since we got here"

Fili moved closer to her "what do you dream of?'

She shook her head slowly "I do not know. When they first started it was just the sensation of smoke and fire then sometimes I would hear people yelling, even screaming. But lately they've gotten stronger more real seeming I can hear a man yelling at me to run but I don't want to. When I wake up I feel so scared and on edge. I nearly stabbed poor Bilbo when he woke me last time I had one."

"Do they happen often?" he asked quietly

She shook her head "no they come and go. The last one I had was three days ago."

"When Kili or I had a bad dream our mother used to say 'It does not do well to dwell on dreams lest you forget your reality. For dreams are only as real as you let them be'"

Rowan gave him a small smile as he stood up. She watched as he stretched and crept his way through the company and over to the form of his sleeping brother shaking him awake for watch. After waking Kili he then returned to where Rowan was sitting and took her hands in his pulling her to her feet and towards their bed rolls.

Rowan opened her mouth to question him but he put a finger to his lips gesturing to the sleeping dwarfs at their feet. When they got to their spots Fili pulled her bed roll alongside his motioning for her to lay down. When she did she was startled as he pulled her close so that her chin was nearly toughing his chest.

"What are you doing" she whispered blushing furiously

She could feel him grinning "I thought of a way to keep you warm" he said. And she had to admit he was right, he radiated heat like a miniature furnace.

She was praying Kili couldn't see them or else she would never hear the end of it. Thinking of Kili and his brother made a thought pop into her head. She squirmed in his arms until she was able to look up at him "so I have a question for you."

"hmmmm?" he hummed looking down at her

"What on earth were you and Kili doing that had you so distracted that trolls slipped past you?"

"Just a brotherly argument mo annym"

Rowans head perked up "what did you just call me?"

"Go to sleep mo annym" Fili mumbled

Too tired to argue Rowan closed her eyes and snuggled into the coat, inhaling the scent of tobacco and pine trees. She quickly drifted into a dreamless sleep.

…..Flash back…

_Kili and Fili sat side by side on a large rock looking out at the ponies grazing nearby._

_"so you and Elira hmmmm?" said Fili elbowing his brother in the ribs playfully._

_Kili turned to his brother "I don't know what you're talking about dear brother"_

_"Oh Elira you don't have to worry I won't let any harm come to you I swear on my mighty bow" Fili said in a mock impression of his brothers voice._

_Kili was turning red as he realized his brother had overheard his conversation with Elira_

_"Oh Kili your bow is so impressive" he continued on this time in a high pitched voice batting his eyes at his brother. "Why thank you Elira" Fili said in the deep voice "though it's not as impressive as my brother's massive swo…AHH!" Fili yelled as he was cut off by his brother tackling him off the rock pinning him on the ground by placing his knees on Fili's arms and sitting._

_"oh you're one to talk" said Kili grinning down at him " At least I'm man enough to make a move, Instead of just making puppy eyes at her when she's not looking like a love sick dwarfling. Your just jealous because that night we moved the bed rolls instead of looking like a valiant genteldwarf like I did she called you a bastard and hit you with a pillow." Kili dissolved into a fit of laughter remembering Rowans reaction. "You should have seen your fac…oofff"_

_Fili had taken the opportunity to catch his brother off guard and flipped him onto the ground and pinned him there. "It's called slow and steady wins the race my baby brother. Why by shear beard alone I could have any woman swooning faster than you could. Remember that merchant's daughter from the iron hills? She thought you were just a babe! What did she call you when you tried to make a move on her?... oh right an adorable little scamp!"_

_It was Fili's turn to howl with laughter. And Kili took it as his chance to turn the tables again but Fili was a bit stronger. "oh no you don't" he laughed as the two dissolved into a full on wrestling match._

_._

A/N; yay finally some romance! Just a foot note mo annym means my soul in dwarfish.


	8. a long way for caving

.

.

After the brief rest the company had packed up the camp and left to seek out the troll hoard. After about 20 minutes they finally found it. As they company gathered around the opening of the cave they were all set back by the horrid smell wafting from the cave. Only a few decided to venture into it in the end. The rest of the company sat outside of the cave milling about. As those who were going in began to descend into the cave Rowan and Elira stood at the entrance.

"You wanna go in Eli?" Rowan asked, not taking her eyes off of the cave

"I think I'll pass." Elira replied, grimacing as she took another step back "what about you?"

Rowan shrugged "it'd be interesting to take a look around, never seen a troll hoard before, or a troll for that matter I suppose."

"Are yeh coming in lassie?"

Rowan looked behind her to see Dwalin coming up beside her holding a torch.

"I was thinking I might, it would be interesting to see what's down there"

The tattooed dwarf nodded at her with a small smile "well if you're coming down, come down with me so I can keep an eye on yeh. No sense on surviving the trolls only to slip and die in their cave."

The two walked don into the cave together meeting up with Gandalf, Thorin, Kili, Fili, Bofur, Gloin, and Nori at the well of the cave.

There were many things in the cave all strewn together. Treasure, food, weapons, cages, boxes, barrels, and much to Rowans horror bones- human bones.

"You alright lass?" Dwalin asked seeing the horrified look on the young woman's face. He followed her gaze to a skull that lay just a few feet from her.

He put a hand on her shoulder "why don't you go see what the lads are up to?" he suggested trying to get her mind off the remains.

Rowan nodded and carefully walked to the other side of the cave where the brothers were standing with their backs to her bent over something.

"What are you looking at?" she asked starting the pair who quickly shoved something into their pockets.

"Just some knives and gems" Fili replied hastily. "Anything catch your eye?"

"I haven't seen much yet." She answered with a shrug

"Is Elira right handed?" Kili asked suddenly

"er… yah she is. Why?"

The brown haired dwarf pulled something off of his shoulder and showed it to Rowan. It was two short swords one just a bit longer than the other each sheathed in a scabbard attached to a belt on opposite sides. They were beautifully made blades- the hilts appeared to be made with gold leaf and had intricate writing at either end that met in the middle and continued into the blade. The blades were singled edged which curved at the middle and had small leaves etched into it.

"I figured she needed something more than daggers on this quest" Kili said

"It's a good idea Kili I'm sure she'll love them." Rowan said

The dwarf's face lit up. He excused himself and hurried out of the cave to find Elira.

Thorin called Fili to him leaving Rowan alone to explore the cave. She stopped by a rack of swords thinking about what Kili had said about needing more than daggers on the quest. Her fingers brushed along the dusty hilts. '_I have no idea what to look for in a sword'_ she realized. She looked around for Fili to ask him for help but he was still over with his uncle.

Looking around the cave she saw Dwalin nearby also looking at weapons. He must have felt her gaze because he looked up over at her and walked over.

"What are yah looking at over here?" he asked

"I want a sword" she said trying to sound confident "I was hoping you could help me find one?"

Dwalin smiled down at her. "Of course. Can't have you running around with just a bow and a dagger forever now can we?"

Rowan waited patiently as Dwalin shifted through the piles of the cave pulling out various swords, occasionally asking her to try one out asking her how the weight felt and if she liked the length of the blade.

"Ah ha" she heard him grunt as he pulled something from a basket. "Here lass try this one."

He handed her the sword. It was just a bit shorter than the one Kili used. The scabbard belt was a dark grey- blue and the scabbard itself was dark brown with lines of silver running up the sides and going across the top in a scroll pattern. She pulled the blade out and tested the weight. It was much lighter than the others she had tried out she swung it a few times to be sure. The blade was a double edge with beautiful blue runes running up the middle. The hilt was copper-gold colored and where it met the sword was designed to look like dragons curving up on either side. And at the handle there was a strap of leather set into it for grip.

"It's perfect" she said beaming up at him

"I figured it would suit you, even if it is elven made." He said with a smirk. "Come on now and I'll help ya put it on your back so it won't catch on your bow."

She nodded enthusiastically and the two made their way to the entrance of the cave as Thorin called for the others to exit as well.

Once out side he took the sword and scabbard from her and arranged it so she would have easy access to both her sword and bow and helped her secure it.

"Thank you" she said excitedly and before either of them knew it she had pulled him into a hug.

She grinned sheepishly at him when she let go "sorry, I'm kind of a hugger"

Dwalin chuckled a bit "So was your mother" he murmured

"What" Rowan asked

"Nothing lass"

She was about to persist but was but her attention was shifted to a rustling coming from the trees near by

"Something's coming!" Thorin shouted

"Arm yourselves! Hurry now!" Gandalf shouted to the company

Rowan drew her sword and held it with both hands.

Nothing could have prepared her for what came out of the forest.

...

Elira drew her swords glancing at Kili who was beside her bow at the ready. The whole company was armed and ready, waiting for the new enemy to emerge.

But it was not what any of them had expected, when a man riding a sleigh drawn by large rabbits burst into the clearing.

"thieves! Fire! Murder!"

"Are those…. Rabbits?" Elira asked as she watched the man dumbfounded Kili.

"Yes I do believe they are" he answered his eyebrows raised as the rabbits came to a halt.

"Is this common in middle earth?" she asked perplexed

"No tis not"

...

After they discovered the identity of the sleigh owner the company relaxed and waited for the wizards to finish their conference.

Rowan wandered over to where Elira was and sat down next to her.

"Look what Kili found me!" she said showing her the short swords at her hips. "and he got me this too"

Elira held up her hand for her to see on her middle finger was now a small intricate band of silver made to look like woven vines and in the center shown a small emerald that glittered in the sun.

"Looks like someone has got himself a gentleman caller" Rowan said with a smirk. "And It looks like were not the only ones now armed" she said a bit louder to catch the attention of the passing hobbit.

"Oh yes Gandalf found it in the hoard. He said it would be the perfect sword for me." Bilbo said wavering between pride and worry about his new blade.

" I think it's perfect." Elira said "come on Bilbo I'll show you some of the moves Kili had taught me." And with that Elira grabbed the hobbit and jogged off.

Rowan was about to go after them to get an explanation for why they ran off when Fili sat down next to her '_so that's why she ran off'_ Rowan thought

"I have something for you" he said smiling at her "hold out your arm"

Rowan obliged and held out her right arm.

She was surprised when she felt something cool touch her wrist

"My brother isn't the only one who found something in the cave"

Rowan stared at the bracelet he had clasped around her wrist. It was made up of small rectangles of blue topaz set into silver fastenings with intricate boarders all hinged together. At the top of the bracelet was one rectangle that had an opal in the shape of a crescent moon set into the topaz.

"Fili" she breathed "this is beautiful"

She hugged him. "But I didn't get you anything" she said guiltily

"I didn't want you to mo annym"

She smiled, perhaps this new world wasn't so bad. Lately she had been pondering returning to the other world after this quest but now… not so much.

She looked up as a howl ripped through the clearing

Then again maybe the other world is the better way to go.


	9. a long way to safty

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**Disclaimer I don't own the Hobbit or the P.J movies if I did I'd be a whole lot richer.**

**_Here's the newest chapter and were finally getting to Rivendell yay! I may update the next chapter either today or tomorrow since I have the day off._**

* * *

Rowan drew her sword imminently and Fili did the same. She knew that sound. It was one that had haunted her nightmares since they got here.

"Wolf was that a wolf? Are there wolves here?!" Bilbo asked frantically

"Wolf... that is no wolf" Bofur replied just as a warg came bounding into the area

An arrow whizzed by them and embedded its self in the wargs neck. The warg tumbled down and was finished off by Thorin and Dwalin.

"Warg scouts!" Thorin yelled "which means an orc pack is not far behind"

"Orc pack?!" said Bilbo echoing rowans thoughts

Gandalf surged forward to Thorin "who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?"

"No one"

"Who did you tell!?" the wizard asked more emphatically

"No one I swear! What in Durins name is going on?" Thorin answered with a tinge of fear

"You are being hunted."

Rowan felt herself begin to tremble. Images of her last encounter with orcs flashed in her mind. She could feel grimy hands around her throat again.

Fili looked down at rowan and imminently saw something was wrong. Her somewhat swarthy complexion was now pale and her whole body was trembling slightly.

"Rowan?" he called softly

"We need to get out of here!" he heard Dwalin call

"We can't we have no ponies they bolted!" Ori called from behind Fili

"I'll draw them off!" the strange Wizard said

Gandalf frowned "these are Gundabad wargs they will outrun you!"

The other wizard puffed up with pride "these are Rohsogbel rabbits…..I'd like to see them try"

The company grabbed their bags and got ready to run

"Rowan we have to go now" the sound of urgency in Fili's voice broke her from the daze. She ran and grabbed her pack and satchel and joined the others as the wizard flew by them on his sleigh.

"Run!" Gandalf called and the company bounded out of the forest and onto a rocky Moore.

...

The company sprinted across the uneven terrain heads whipping back and forth looking for any sign of the orc pack.

Elira jogged next to Kili both of her swords drawn. From across the moor she could see the wizard whipping across the ridge on his sleigh, the orcs hot on his trail.

"Hurry now, stay together!" Gandalf said in an urgent voice

They ran along a long outcropping of rock hoping to stay out of sight. As they neared the end Thorin heard the howling once more only this time it was closer.

"Ori no!" He cried pulling the young dwarf back behind the rock by his collar just in time, as the orcs raced by on top of a hill near the rock.

"Come on, come on quickly!" Gandalf said in a hushed voice after the wargs were out of their sight.

The company hurried on in the direction he was pointing to trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Where are you leading us?" Thorin asked

The only reply he received was a withering look from the wizard who then jogged after the company with Thorin behind him.

As they ran along the orcs continued their pursuit of Radagast. Then suddenly one of the orcs paused and sniffed the air looking across the moor.

The company was forced to turn suddenly when the orc pack passed not too far in front of them. They flattened themselves against a nearby rock and held their breath. Then a growl was heard, but this time not from somewhere on the moor but from on top of the rock they were hiding along.

The orc sat on top of the rock and sniffed the air again drawing his sword.

From down below Thorin risked a glance up to see where the orc was. He then looked at his nephew giving him silent instructions he then motioned to Rowan trying to convey to his nephew the plan. Kili nodded and nudged rowan pointing at her bow. She nodded and silently handed her sword to Ori who stood next to her, then unsheathed her bow and pulled out an arrow.

'Orc' he mouthed pointing to her 'warg' he mouth again pointing at himself. Rowan nodded and nocked the arrow.

'One' he mouthed 'two, three'. On three they both bolted from the cover of the rock and fired. Kili's arrow hit its make embedding its self in the wargs skull. Rowans however did not- it hit the orc just below the neck. The now dead warg tumbled off the cliff sending its wounded rider crashing amid the company. It immediately got up yelling as it charged at them. Dwalin and Biffer finished it off, but not before its screams had alerted the rest of the pack to their location.

The howling increased and echoed across the rocks.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf yelled

The company sprinted along the moor which became even hillier as they went. When they reached the top of a hill they looked out over the valley.

"There they are!" Gloin called out pointing to where the pack was barreling towards them

"This way quickly!" the wizard urged surging on wards

Elira was nearly out of breath her legs were on fire and her heart felt as if it was going to beat right out of her chest. She had a white knuckle grip on her blades as she frantically looked around them.

"Come on we arnt dying just yet" she heard Rowan say as she snagged Eliras arm with her free hand pulling her forward.

She noticed Rowan had stowed her bow for now and instead held her sword in her right hand.

"Some vacation this turned out to be!" Rowan said with a small forced grin.

Elira could tell she was doing her best to stay calm.

"Well….. at least the scenery…. Is nice" Elira said in between gasps.

They raced up another hill and into a flat valley filled with tall dry grass.

Thorin came to a halt and felt his insides clench. Their path forward was now blocked by two riders at eh top of a ridge.

"There's more coming!" his nephew called as two more orcs came behind them.

Thorin spun around looking for a way out. The orcs had surrounded them and were beginning to close in

"Kili, Rowan shoot them!" he shouted

Both of them drew their bows

"Were surrounded" Fili shouted to his uncle

Kili and Rowan stood together at the head of the flat firing at the orcs that were trying to enter.

"Where is Gandalf!?" Dori yelled

Rowan looked behind them. The wizard had indeed disappeared. '_shit'_

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin yelled

The company had made somewhat of a circle around the flat to better fight off the incoming pack, all of them stood with weapons drawn waiting.

"Hold your ground!" Thorin shouted as the pack began to advance at them

Elira stood next to Bilbo. She glanced at the hobbit who had his small sword drawn looking uncertainly around him.

Suddenly a shout rang out from behind the pair

"This way you fools!"

Elira turned to see the wizard pop up from the rock behind her then disappear again.

"Come on all of you!" Thorin called

The company rushed towards the rock. Elira turned to the hobbit just in time to see a warg headed for him.

"Bilbo! Duck" she called springing forward. She got to him just as the warg lunged at him. Blindly she thrust one of her blades up feeling it hit something solid. The warg yelped and backed off momentarily giving her enough time to grab the hobbit.

"Come on!" she yelled jumping down the passage with Bilbo in tow.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark she counted who was down there- Gandalf Bilbo, Balin, Dori, Bofur, Bombur, Nori, Gloin and Oin.

"Where's everyone else!?" she asked frantically.

The wizard looked at her then up to the top of the passage.

Her heart clenched. Rowan was still up there.

...

Back above Thorin, Kili, Fili, Dwalin, Ori, and Rowan were still trying to get to the passage.

"Kili, Rowan!" Thorin called to the pair who were still at the base of the flat firing at the oncoming orcs.

Thorin sliced down a charging warg "Come on both of you!" he shouted.

The brunette par turned and sprinted towards the rock where Fili, Thorin and Dwalin were waiting.

A hint of movement to the side caught rowans attention. Turning she saw Ori still in the field struggling to get away from a warg and its rider.

"Kili" she called catching his attention motioning towards the young scribe.

As she ran towards Ori she sheathed her bow and drew her sword as Kili's arrows whizzed past her striking the warg.

The orc had dismounted its wounded ride and stalked towards Ori who was desperately firing rocks from his slingshot as he ran. Rowan charge up from the side bringing her sword down as she went. Black blood sprayed from the wounded orc splattering both Rowan and Ori. She didn't even bother to make sure it was down for good, incapacitated was good enough for her. She grabbed the dwarf and sprinted to where the others were waiting.

Upon seeing them arrive, Dwalin and Kili jumped down the passage to join the rest of the company.

"Come on Ori" Rowan said giving the dwarf a push towards the tunnel. The poor dwarf was still in shock. But luckily the small push was enough to send the small dwarf tumbling down the passage, unfortunately he was too shocked to let go of Rowans arm.

The young woman was caught off guard and she suddenly fell head first into the tunnel unable to protect herself with both arms. The dwarf's weight pushed her against the rock as they slid and tumbled down the passage finally landing at the bottom. The two rolled when they hit the bottom sending them both sprawling onto the floor nearby, just as Thorin and Fili landed behind them.

Rowan groaned as she tried to push up from the floor.

"Ori I love you and all, but will you please get off me!" she said slightly irritably

The dwarf then realized what had happened and jumped up. "Im so sorry miss! I should have let go"

Rowan slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position just as an orc carcass came tumbling down into the tunnel.

"Elves!" Thorin said examining the arrow lodged in its neck.

Elira went over to Rowan, happy to see her friend after the scare she had just had. She was taken back when she saw her, black blood was splattered on her face and neck, smeared down her cheek. She was currently sitting on the floor, frowning as she picked small pieces of rock out of a small abrasion on her arm.

"Are you alright?" Elira asked worriedly

"I'd be a lot better if dwarfs didn't have such strong grips." Rowan muttered.

Elira laughed and handed her a clean cloth from her bag

"Here" she said pouring some water on the cloth "we can't have you walking around with blood on you"

"I cannot see there the pathway leads do we follow it or no?" Dwalin called

"Follow it of course!" Bofur said followed by murmurs of agreement from the company.

Rowan attempted to stand groaning as she did "shite I feel like I've been hit by a truck"

All she wanted to do was sit back down on the stone floor and take a nap. She was contemplating it when she felt a hand at the small of her back pushing her forward.

"We can't have you falling behind" Said Thorin looking down at her

"Are you hurt?" he asked. He had heard her yell and had turned around in time to see her being dragged into the passage by Ori's grip.

"Nah just a scratch. Didn't really have the landing I was hoping for."

They walked side to side as the passage began to narrow

"You should have Oin check it when we stop next." He said. He looked forward to see the rest of the passage and caught a glimpse of Dori fussing over his young brother wiping orc blood off of his face as they walked. A trace of a smile formed on his face as he turned back to look at Rowan "dwarfs do not forget acts of kindness or valor easily, as I have already explained to Miss. Elira after her troll stunt. I believe you will be seeing a lot of the brothers Ri from now on."

"Oh joy." She mumbled

...

The path narrowed up ahead and the company was forced to go through it single file.

"Where do you think he is leading us?"

Elira jumped a bit at Bilbo's voice.

"I do not know I just hope it is miles away from those orcs."

They did not have to wait much further as the tunnel abruptly gave way to an opening.

Elira stopped ahead of them stood the most beautiful city she had ever seen. All that she could see was bathed in golden sunlight. Large waterfalls torrented over the side of the cliff wall behind the city. Even the air felt different more relaxed.

As soon as she had exited the tunnel she felt a strange sensation wash over her. It was similar to the sensation she had felt when she had first woken up in middle earth only this time it was stronger.

The hobbit stopped next to her looking out around them with a perplexed expression.

Elira made her way to Gandalf who was standing near the edge of the opening, followed by Bilbo

"Gandalf where are we?" she asked looking up at the old Wizard

He looked down at them with a smile "you can feel it?"

"Yes it feels like….well….I'm not sure" Elira admitted

"It feels like magic." Bilbo said from behind her

"Very good" Gandalf said to him. "The valley of Imladris" he said a bit louder so the rest of the company could hear. "But in the common tongue it is known by another name"

"Rivendell" Bilbo breathed

"Here lays the last homely house east of the sea" Gandalf said as the company took in the beautiful surroundings.

"This was your plan all along to seek refuge with our enemy!" Thorin accused stalking over the Gandalf

"You have no enemies here Thorin. The only ill will to be found here is the one that which you bring yourself!"

"Do you think elves will give this quest their blessing? They will try to stop us!" he countered

"Of course they will! But we have questions that must be answered" the Wizard said. Thorin couldn't argue with him on that. What good was his grandfather's map if they could not read the text?

"If we are to be successful this will be needed to be handled with tact… and respect.. and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me!"

Elira held back a snort of laughter at the Wizard's comment and fell into line alongside Bilbo as they crossed into the valley.

"_Welcome home my child"_

Elira nearly fell off the bridge from fright "did you hear that?" she asked Bilbo

"Hear what?" he asked looking around them

"Oh nothing." she said shrugging

She frowned as Bilbo turned away. Elira knew that voice; it was the same voice that had brought her to middle earth.

.

A/N; in case anyone wants a picture of the swords from the last chapter I molded them after Arwen and Eowyn's swords.


	10. a long way for a bath

**Disclaimer I don't own the Hobbit or P.J's movies in any way.**

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**.**

The company marched across the small stone bridge that led across the river below. On the other side they found themselves in a beautiful stone court yard surrounded by ornate stone pillars. Most of the company was looking around in wonder except for Thorin and Dwalin who stood shoulder to shoulder looking around with contempt and suspicion.

"Ah Mithrandir"

The company turned around to see a tall brown haired elf walking toward them.

Gandalf smiled at the elf. "Ah Lindir" he said approaching him

Thorin began to feel uneasy at the elf's presence.

"Stay sharp" he whispered to Dwalin not taking his eyes off the elf before him.

The elf addressed Gandalf in elvish leaving the rest of the company in the dark- Everyone that was, except for Elira whose head suddenly snapped up upon hearing familiar words.

Rowan too heard the language, though it sounded familiar she didn't understand it.

"Do you know what they are saying?" she whispered

"A bit, I caught valley and you crossed"

The conversation switched back to the common tongue at that point

"I must speak with lord Elrond" Gandalf said urgently

The elf frowned "my lord Elrond is not here"

"Not here? where is he?"

Before the elf could answer the sound of a horn echoed through the valley. The company turned towards the bridge in confusion trying to locate the source of the sound.

Suddenly a large caravan of elves on horseback came cantering up the bridge.

"ike bakar! Close ranks!" Thorin shouted to the company, jolting them into action they pulled out their weapons readying to fight then formed a circle, pulling Bilbo Elira Ori and Rowan into the center of it.

Elira was confused by their actions. From what Gandalf had told her elves were peaceful people. But from the way the company was reacting to the new arrivals it would seem as though they posed a threat.

The horses began to circle the company squeezing them closer together riling the dwarfs up even more.

When the horses finally stopped moving another elf rode forward.

"Gandalf" he said smiling

"Lord Elrond" Gandalf greeted striding forward a bit and bowing.

The two conversed in the same language as the elf dismounted his horse taking a crude looking sword from one of his men.

"Strange for orcs to come so close to our boarders. Something or someone must have drawn tem near"

Gandalf looked sheepishly at the elf lord "ah well that may have been us"

Elrond looked out at the company watching as Thorin strode forward to the head of the group

"Welcome Thorin son of thrain"

"I do not believe we have met" Thorin said politely, though there was a hint of derision in his voice.

"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew thror when he ruled under the mountain" said Elrond

"Indeed? He made no mention of you" this time there was no mistaking the contempt in his voice.

The elf lord looked as though he was studying the dwarf before him before he spoke again in elvish.

"What does he saying? Does he offer us insult?!" Gloin yelled causing the other dwarfs to begin to rile up once more.

Gandalf sighed "no master dwarf he is offering you food"

The company began to mutter to one and other.

"If you would like I can show you to where you can get washed up for dinner. And any wounds you may have can be seen by our healers" Elrond continued looking at the fresh scratch on Ori's cheek.

The company begrudgingly agreed and followed Lindir out of the court yard.

As they were leaving two of the company caught Elrond's eye. He studied the two women and a flash of gold around the blonde's neck made his breath catch.

"Gandalf" he said to the wizard next to him "it would seem we have much to discuss.

...

.

Rowan and Elira walked with the company as they followed Lindir down a series of path ways finally stopping at one large hall way.

"Here we" he said motioning to the door behind him

The company started to follow through but rowan and Elira lagged behind. They looked at each other unsure of what to do.

"My ladies" Lindir called to them drawing their attention back "this is Serin and Thera they will show you to your rooms." He said pointing to two beautiful elvish women behind him. Both were tall with pale skin one with jet black hair and the other with warm blond hair. The two smiled at the two travel worn women in front of them.

Rowan and Elira nodded and smiled back following the woman as they led them down a different passage. They stopped first at a large elegant wooden door. The Black haired elf- Serin turned to Elira if you will follow me miss.

Elira cast one final glance at rowan and waved goodbye following the woman through the door. Once inside she marveled at the room se now stood in. it was all cool white stone with a large window-door cut into the opposite wall that led to a terrace. A comfortable looking bed lay by one corner with a dresser and night stand near it. Elira followed the woman into an equally lavish bathroom with a large tub set into the floor.

"I can take your cloths to be mended when you're changed" Serin told her as she motioned to a privacy screen

Elira stripped out of her old worn clothes tossing them over the screen. Once she heard the door click she slipped into the warm soapy water every muscle in her body relaxing. She looked around the rim of the tub at the small glass vials Serin had left for her to use along with a bar of soap. One for the bath water and one for her hair the other was perfume for after she dried off. Taking the stopper out of the second vial she poured some into her hands then scrubbed it into her hair. She relished in the clean lovely scent it left. Perhaps Rivendell wouldn't be so bad.

...

Just few yards away in a room not too far from Eliras, rowan followed Thera into an equally lavish room.

When she got into the bathroom she stripped and slipped into the tub after setting out her old cloths for Thera. She scrubbed her body and hair till there wasn't a speck of dust on her. The warm water felt good on her aching body.

After a bit a knock came at the door it was Thera

"Lady Rowan when you are ready I have fresh cloths for you"

Slipping out of the tub Rowan grabbed a towel off the nearby table and dried herself off before wrapping it around herself and opening the door.

Thera was standing near the bed neatly arranging articles of clothing on the bed.

"Ah lady Rowen I have brought you a dress for dinner. And Lindir has brought something's from the healer for your arm" she said motioning to the fabric draped over the bed

Rowan looked at the multiple layers of unfamiliar clothing on the bed before her. She eyed the various laces and buttons with apprehension.

Thera must have sensed her apprehension for not a moment later she added "if you would like I can assist you in getting ready"

Rowan grinned sheepishly "If it's no trouble. And you can just call me Rowan."

The elf smiled back at her and handed her the undergarments and dressing gown from off the bed directing her to another changing screen.

After she was finished dressing Thera then motioned for her to sit on the bed while she put slave and wound a bandage around the scratch. After she then set to the task of helping rowan dawn the elegant dress. It was a pale shade of turquoise made from light airy fabric that shaped her body then fanned out a bit at her hips, the sleeves fit her arms perfectly then at the elbow billowed out downwards for a few inches. The top of the dress had a heart neckline with elegant trim that matched the trim at her elbows. At her hips Thera secured an delicate silver belt then looked at her handy work

"There we are! Now let's do something with your hair!" she said steering the half dwarf to a chair pulled next to the vanity.

It was the first time in a while Rowan had seen her reflection clearly and she nearly had a heart attack at what she saw. The sides of her cheeks near her jawline were dusted with peach fuzz.

"Are you alright?" Thera asked seeing her shocked expression and the way Rowan kept rubbing her hand against her cheek

"I have facial hair" Rowan said dumbfounded. She had had one or two stray hairs along her jawline back home but never anything like this!

It was Thera's turn to look confused "I thought all dwarf women had facial hair?"

The light bulb in Rowans head clicked

"Oh…..yes.. yes it's… uh just grown since I last looked that's all" rowan said covering

Thera nodded and began to run her hand through Rowans hair

"I'm thinking an updo" she said smiling

Thera weaved Rowans hair this way and that way and in the end managed to pull all of her hair into a bun of loose curls all pinned together with a braid running along each side of her head that disappeared into the bun.

"There we are all finished!" she said with one final touch pinning a white flower into the side of the curls.

Rowan couldn't help but smile at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a princess.

Thera then ushered her out the door and led her back through the halls and into a different building, telling Rowan what was in the different areas they passed.

As they turned into a open air building the two ran into Elira and Serin.

Elira had gotten the elvish makeover too Rowan noted. The blonde's hair was down with two intricate braids running along either side of her head connecting into one braid in the back showing her slightly pointed ears. She wore an emerald green dress with fine gold embroidery that shimmered in the sunlight. The dress had trumpet sleeves that stopped mid forearm and she had a gold sash tied around her waist.

"Well don't you look positively regal" rowan said followed by a wolf whistle.

"Your one to talk I mistook you for another elf when I saw you" Elira said

"If you would follow us we can show you to dinner" said Serin

Elira extended her arm "well can I escort you to dinner my lady"

"My lady you may make me swoon" Rowan said with a laugh looping her arm around Eliras. Still laughing they turned and followed Serin and Thera down the hall.

.

A/N; hey guys so sorry this is kind of a filler chapter. But next chapter we'll be getting to the good stuff- finally going to find out about Eliras past and maybe even Rowans!


	11. a long way for the truth

**Disclaimer I don't own the hobbit or P.J's movies**

_A/N; so for Rivendell I will be going with the books and doing a weeklong stay, yay were finally going to find out about Elira and Rowans past!_

_Don't forget to review!_

The two were led onto an open air court yard. At the very edge of it Serin and Thera bowed and left leaving the friends on their own.

They could hear the boisterous laughter of the company spilling out into the hall way where they stood.

Still arm in are the two ventured into the court yard.

"Well bless my beard have angles come down from the heavens." Said Bofur cheekily when he saw the two enter

This drew the attention of the rest, and all eyes fell upon the two women as they entered

"Well don't you too look mighty fine"

"Aye you look like princesses"

"Aye, you lot don't clean up so bad your selves" Rowan said laughing as she and Elira sat down at the table.

Rowan sat next to Balin and Bilbo with Elira next to her. Plates of food were set in front of them, which they gratefully began to eat.

As they ate they listened to Elrond finish telling Gandalf and Thorin about their swords. This led to some questions about where they were headed- something Thorin did not take too kindly to Rowan watched as he excused himself for a moment as the elves came around to clear the table, prompting Bofur to lighten the mood.

This seemed to work for after Bofur had finished his song Thorin returned.

Elrond handed Thorin back his sword before turning to his new guests.

"Welcome Rowan Firebrand. I am glad to see you once again, it has been many years since our last meeting." He said smiling at her.

Rowan gave him a bow of respect "thank you Lord Elrond. And I wish to thank you for your aid many years ago."

"I was glad to be of assistance."

He then turned his attention to Elira.

Much to everyone's surprise when she stood to bow he strode over to her and pulled her into an embrace.

He then pulled back and clasped his hands on her shoulders, his eyes filled with joy.

Elira on the other hand stood in shock, surprised by the elf lord's enthusiastic greeting.

"I'm sorry I don't wish to be rude, but have we met before?" Elira asked

Elrond smiled down at her "you were but just a child when last we met, but as soon as I saw your mothers neckless and looked at your face I knew it was you. I could never forget the face of my only niece. "

Rowan sputtered on her drink and Elira nearly choked in surprise. The entire company gasped eyebrows shooting into their hair lines.

"Your…. Your niece!?" Elira exclaimed "but Gandalf said I was from Lothlorien not Rivendell"

"Indeed he was correct" Elrond said calmingly "allow me to explain. Your mother was Lady Galaren, youngest daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. Her sister was Lady Celebrían- my wife."

"So you're my uncle?" Elira said queried.

"Yes. And there are some others who wish to meet you." Elrond chuckled waving his hand in a beckoning motion.

Two young identical looking male elves came out on to the court yard practically vibrating with excitement, followed by a younger looking female elf.

"These are my children, my sons- Elladan and Elrohir, and my daughter Arwen." Said Elrond gesturing to them in turn

The twins quickly embraced their newfound kin, Arwen joining in moments later.

Eliras eyes were beginning to well with tears. She had family again- an uncle, cousins, a grandmother and grandfather!

"But wait" Elira paused, a thought coming to the front of her mind "If I had a whole extended family in middle earth why did my mother and father cross to the other world?"

Elrond's face dropped a bit. A hint of sadness crept into his voice as he spoke. "Your mother wanted you to be able to grow up in peace something she did not believe possible here after what happened to Celebrian."

The mood on the court yard had become somber. Elladan and Elrohir had become tense, dark expressions cast on both of their faces. Arwen had tears beginning to form in her eyes. She politely excused herself and hurried away from the court yard her brothers exchanging worried glances before following her.

Elrond cast a sorrowful glance in his children's direction before continuing "my wife was on her way back from a visit to Lothlorien many years ago when she was attack by orcs on the road. We searched tirelessly for her. All of Rivendell and Lothlorien were emptied to aid in the search. For many weeks we came up empty until Elladan and Elrohir found her. They slaughtered the orcs and rescued her from imprisonment but she never fully recovered after her return home. The horrors she had endured during that time became too much to bear and eventually she sailed to the undying lands. Galaren too was never the same after that she no longer believed this world to be good or at peace. So when you were born she did not wish for you to grow up in this world, she was fearful that you may meet the same fate as her beloved sister. So she pleaded with us to send you three through the void to another world, one where you could grow up in peace."

Elira put a reassuring hand on Elrond's shoulder. "And I did. I grew up happy and in peace like she wanted"

Elrond paused for a moment as if he was debating something.

"May I ask you something?" he asked in a low voice

"Of course"

"How did Galaren….. How did she..pass?"

Elira looked at him in surprise "how did you know she was gone?"

"Lady Galadriel informed me. She could sense it even through the void"

Elira stared at the floor. "It was not too long after my father." She began "he got really sick just before my 20th birthday. He died not too long after. My mother tried to keep going after he passed but it was hard for her. Losing the man she loved. But she tried as long as she could, for me. But in the end she needed to be with him. I guess she died of a broken heart. She was so happy in the end; she knew she was going to see him again." Elira smiled a bit.

"Your mother and your father held a love for each other like no other" Elrond said with a small smile.

"I shall send word to Lothlorien. I'm sure they will be elated to hear of your return to this world."

As Elrond and Elira continued their conversation about her new found relations, the rest of the company began to settle in around the courtyard. Some pulled out pipes others began sharpening blades or whittled away at blocks of wood.

Rowan had finally recovered from the shock of meeting her friends surprise family, when a question began to brew in her mind.

"Dwalin" she called walking over to the dwarf who was standing nearby leaning against a large coulomb.

"What is it lass?" he asked with an amused tone

"I was wondering… well you've spoken before about knowing my mother and father and his clan."

"That I have" he answered his tone becoming shadowed.

"I was wondering where the rest of my clan is? Do they dwell in the blue mountains or in the Iron hills?"

The large dwarf seemed caught off guard and sputtered at her question.

" Well lass …. The thing….well…" he stuttered.

"You mean you have not told her!?" Elrond interrupted- a look of shock and outrage written across his face.

It seemed that his conversation with Elira had ended for she was now standing next to Kili watching the scene unfold.

"Tell me what?" Rowan queried looking between Elrond and Dwalin.

"It would be wise to remain out of my companies business" Thorin growled stalking forward to stand beside Dwalin.

"Tell me what?" rowan exclaimed louder this time.

"It is not your companies business! It is that poor girl's life!" Elrond fumed at Thorin

"TELL ME WHAT!?" Rowan roared with a mix of confusion and anger that shocked even Elira.

Elrond glared at the dwarf lord before turning to Rowan with a soft expression "you are the last one my dear."

"The last what?" Rowan asked confusedly, not understanding the elf's words.

She felt a large hand on her shoulder and looked up at Dwalin, who was staring at her sadly.

"You're the last of the Firebrands ,Rowan." He said softly.

"How is that possible? You said there was a whole clan!"

"Aye once there was. They were a mighty one at that." Balin said

"Then how are they all gone?" she asked,trying to stem the wave of nausea that had suddenly come over her.

"They were all killed." Thorin said his tone unusually gentle

"Wha…but how…" Rowan whispered disbelievingly, backing away from the dwarf in front of her.

"It is considered one of the greatest dwarven tragedies to this day." Dwalin began "the firebrands were a small but strong clan known for their expert metal smiths. They were favored by the line of Durin even after Erebor fell. Some lived in the mountain like most dwarfs, but most made their own village in a small settlement just outside of Erid luin. Every five years the entire clan would gather at the clan village to discuss issues and celebrate. It was twenty years ago during the gathering that it happened. Thought the Firebrands were well like and even favored. there were some who grew jealous of the clan and resented them and their success. These dwarfs plotted to rid the world of the clan thinking that once the firebrands were gone then they would be favored. So in the middle of the week of the gathering they acted. Waiting until night fall they silently made their way into the village killing the knight watch and those in the outskirts of the town first then they let the rest of their forces in through the gate. The clan was caught off guard. Most were asleep in their beds or still at parties when they struck." Dwalin paused and shook his head before continuing.

" a merchant traveling neat by saw the smoke and alerted us. By the time we got there it was too late. There were none left alive. In all my years I have never seen anything as horrifying as what we saw that day. I rushed to your father- Rorick's house hoping to find him Mira and their daughter alive and well. but the only thing I found was Rorick. By the time I got there he had passed in to the halls of our fathers. We searched the area but we could not find Mira or her daughter. Rumors begand to spread that they had made it out safely. We searched the surrounding areas high and low with no avail. Our search then turned to the dwarfs who had committed this genocide. It wasn't too hard. Some of The bastards thought they would be seen as heroes- found a few of em' bragging in taverns. Eventually we pieced together that it was the clan Steelpick who had perpetrated the act. We hunted down every last one of em' and made em' pay. We buried our dead and mourned them. Then a month later a pack of elves rode into the Blue Mountains saying they had something to return to us. It was two coffins in one was Mira and in the other a little girls blood stained cloak. They said that they had found a woman gravely injured while on a hunting expedition. She said that they had been attacked and were being stalked by wolves while fleeing. She begged them to help her child who had run off. They could hear a child's cries nearby but when they reached the area they were too late. All that was left was the child cloak. So we buried the coffins next to Rorick's and began mourning one more."

When he had finished everyone was silent.

Rowan stood too stunned to move.

"Lass?" Dwalin called softly

Rowans head snapped up, tears welling in her eyes.

"You knew!" she shouted shaking with anger "you knew… all of you knew!"

The dwarfs hung their heads in shame as guilt washed over them. They had all known yet none of them had had the heart to tell her

"All of you knew! Is this why you would never tell me anything about my parents and why whenever I asked about my family you all changed the subject!?" she shouted her voice cracking into hysteria.

"It's not bad enough I was an orphan to start with! now this? I have no family left in the world!? And those who were the closest thing I had to family here were keeping this from me!"

Dwalin reached for her "Rowan, lass we didn't…"

He was cut off by Rowans fist connecting with his cheek.

"Don't you dare try to tell me you didn't mean anything by it. YOU ALL KNEW! I trusted all of you!"

Unable to bear it any longer Rowan turned and ran out of the court yard, disappearing into the hall.

_A/N; so a bit of an agnisty chapter. I'd love to hear your opinions - What do u guys think about their past? Next chapter were going to get to see some more Fili and Kili and much more!_


	12. a long way to forgiveness

**Disclaimer I don't own the hobbit or P.J's movies.**

_A/N; hello once again! So I've decided to go with the book and have their stay in Rivendell last a week instead of just a day._

The company all sat in silence after Rowans departure.

"Are you alright brother?" Balin asked, watching Dwalin rub his cheek.

"Aye. The lass has got a fine swing…. I deserved it though."

"I think we all deserve a wallop for what we did to the lass."

"Should we go look for her?" Fili asked looking at the hall Rowan has disappeared down.

Everyone was silent, wondering what to do.

"No leave her be." Elira said softly "I know Rowan better than anyone. If she doesn't want to be found you will never find her. Its best to leave her be for now. She needs time to be alone."

The company lapsed back into silence.

Kili wrapped his arms around Elira and bulled her close. Small tears were running down her face.

"It will be all right" he soothed

"I'm worried she will resent me now. It's not fair Rowan has never had a proper family. Don't get me wrong she loved Adara and Bozwin like they were her family but it's just…..just not the same. But I had both of my parents for most of my life and now even here I have family. But Rowan….." she trailed off

"I believe I know enough of Rowan to know that she would never hate or resent you. She cares for you as if you were her sister." He said wiping a tear from her cheek.

"I just hope she can forgive us." He said quietly to him self

...0.0...0.0.0...0..0.0.0...0..00...00.

Rowan looked out over the garden, an occasional tear rolling down her cheeks. She had found the small terrace hidden away down a seemingly unused corner of the city after returning to her room to change out of her formal wear. It had a breath taking view of the city and of the beautiful garden below.

She had been up there since she had fled the court yard, tears streaming down her face as all of her strength and hope came crashing down, for once more she was alone in the world. Everyone was dead. Her entire family gone.

She had stayed up there even after the stream of tears had subsided in to the occasional hiccupped sob, her grief quelled for a bit. But she could not will herself to return to the company, the feeling of betrayal still stuck in her heart. So there she remained, gazing out into the garden.

She was so raptured by the view that she did not hear footsteps approaching her.

"It is one of the most beautiful views in Rivendell"

The voice made Rowan jump a bit. Turning she saw Lord Elrond standing at the entrance to the terrace.

He walked to the edge of the terrace and stood next to her, gazing out at the valley.

"I am truly sorry for what has transpired today" he said looking down at her.

"It is not your fault." Rowan replied "They should have told me. Not hide my past away and plant hope where there was none."

"I do not believe that it was their intention to hurt you. Quite the opposite I'd say." He paused a moment before adding" People do great and terrible things for the ones they love."

"I've lost everyone." She murmured "if I return to my world I will be alone, Gandalf already told me that Adara and Bozwin had passed on once I left that world, and if I stay here I will have no one as well. Once this quest is over the dwarfs will live in the mountain, Bilbo will return to the shire, and Elira will return to Lothlorien to be with her family. But where will I go? I have no one to return to, no place to be home."

A fresh tear rolled down her cheek

"You are welcome to come to live in Rivendell if you wish. We will welcome you as elf friend Rowan Firebrand."

"Thank you" she replied with a small smile

Elrond smiled back "It would seem we have company" he said turning to the door way

Rowan turned as well to see Dwalin walking in, coming to a halt just inside the entrance.

"There yah are lass."

Elrond turned to Rowan and gave a small bow "I shall take my leave now."

Dwalin watched the Elf leave before turning back to the young woman. He stood there shifting his weight awkwardly, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"We've been looking for yah. Started getting worried after a while."

At seeing the dwarf caused a mix of anger and guilt to bubble in her chest.

"Yah well I'm fine." She snapped coldly.

Feeling guilty she spoke again in a softer tone "how is your cheek?"

"You got a great swing. But it wasn't anything I didn't deserve."

He moved forward so they were only a few steps away

"I'm sorry Rowan, we all are. We just wanted to… well protect yah. When you came here with no memory of what had happened we just couldn't bring ourselves to tell yah. We didn't want you to have to bear that pain. We shouldn't have lied; it was not ours to keep from yah"

Rowan sighed. "I understand why you did what you did. You just wanted to save me from the truth. But you all betrayed my trust"

Dwalin hung his head he should have known that was coming.

"It will take time to fix it, but if you're willing to start repairing then so am I"

The dwarfs head lifted and a grin began to form on his face "aye, I think I can do that"

...0...

The company sat in the make shift camp they had set up in the court yard. A fire had been lit in the middle and some of the dwarfs sat around it cooking sausages.

Thorin, Balin, and Bilbo had gone off with Elrond and Gandalf to discuss the map, leaving the rest to mill about the court yard.

Some of the company had gone off earlier in search of Rowan but had come up empty.

Elira was starting to get nervous. Even her search had come up ended in failure. She had first tried Rowans room. While it appeared she had been there at one point judging by the evening gown on the bed she was nowhere to be found in that area, nor in any of the other places she had searched.

"Miss Rowan!" Ori called excitedly causing the company to all turn to the entrance to the court yard.

True enough there was Rowan trailing behind Dwalin.

Elira jumped up from where she sat and rushed to her friend, throwing her arms around her and pulling her into a hug. The two stayed for that for a moment before breaking off the embrace.

When Rowan neared the company she was met with a chorus of apologies and pleas for forgiveness.

Holding up her hand she relayed to them what she had told Dwalin earlier, then grabbed her pack and leaned against the stone railing of the court yard and began to sharpen her knife as she looked over the valley once more.

After a while she began to hum as she worked, the song that came to mind as she stared at the city.

"What are you humming?" Fili queried curiously

Rowan turned her head to look at him "a song that I loved from the other world."

"Can we hear it?" Kili asked with a hopeful look.

Rowan shook her head "I'm not much of a singer."

"That's a load of crap" Elira accused with a snort "you and I did musicals every year in high school"

The company sounded with a choir of pleas and cheers to hear the song.

Rowan simply turned back around to face the valley in reply

The company quieted down and went back to what they had been doing.

Then in the silence they heard Rowan begin to hum again- louder this time. Then softly she began to sing.

_I was left to my own devices  
Many days fell away with nothing to show  
And the walls kept tumbling down  
In the city that we love  
Great clouds roll over the hills  
Bringing darkness from above_

_But if you close your eyes,  
Does it almost feel like  
Nothing changed at all?  
And if you close your eyes,  
Does it almost feel like  
You've been here before?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_

_We were caught up and lost in all of our vices  
In your pose as the dust settled around us  
And the walls kept tumbling down  
In the city that we love  
Great clouds roll over the hills  
Bringing darkness from above_

_But if you close your eyes,  
Does it almost feel like  
Nothing changed at all?  
And if you close your eyes,  
Does it almost feel like  
You've been here before?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?  
Oh where do we begin?  
The rubble or our sins?  
Oh oh where do we begin?  
The rubble or our sins?_

_But if you close your eyes,  
Does it almost feel like  
Nothing changed at all?  
And if you close your eyes,  
Does it almost feel like  
You've been here before?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?  
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?_

_If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?_

Her voice cracked at the last line as she ended the song.

"That was beautiful lassie" said Balin walking into the camp followed by Thorin and Bilbo.

"Thank you" she mumbled.

She then picked up her bag from the ground and shouldered it.

"Good night" she muttered and made her way to the archway.

Elira got up as well and followed after her, bidding the company good night as she left.

The two walked in silence for a bit before Rowan spoke

"I'm not mad at yah Elie. You have nothing to feel guilty for."

Elira looked over at Rowan "how did you know how I felt?"

"cus I've known you all my life. You always feel guilty about things, even when you shouldn't. It's not a crime to be excited about something you know."

"But how can I when you…."

Rowan held up a hand to stop her "I can't miss what I never had Elie. I won't lie and say I'm ok with all this, but in the long run I will carry on as I have before. You have a family again, so don't feel guilty about it, just be happy."

Elira smiled at her "I'll always have a family as long as I have you around"

Rowan gave her a playful shove "that's right. You're stuck with me till the bitter end."

.0.0.0...0...00.0.00..00.0.0...0..00...0.0.0.

Back at the camp the dwarfs returned to milling about after Thorin had finished informing them of what he had learned about the map.

Balin sat down next to his brother who was staring into the fire pensively.

"What is on you mind dear brother?"

"She said she had nowhere to go" he mumbled

"Who? Rowan?"

"Aye. I heard her speaking to the elf when I found her. She said that after this quest there was nowhere for her to go no kin to go to."

"I suppose that is true, though I'm sure Thorin would let her stay in the mountain"

The old dwarf sighed "though it is a shame, Rodrick and Mira's daughter without kin or kind to call her own. Alone in this world without family."

Dwalin looked over at him "I sense your hinting at something."

Balin gave him an innocent look "me? Nonsense I am merely pointing out the facts"

Dwalin chuckled "well then it would appear as if we had something to discuss."

Thorin stood off to the corner of the courtyard listening to Dwalin's proposal.

"You know this will be a great amount of responsibility you will be assuming?" he said

Dwalin nodded "I know. I'm willing to accept it whatever may come"

"Balin any objections?" Thorin asked the white haired dwarf

"None at all. I'll will help him in any way necessary."

Thorin smiled and clasped a hand on his friends shoulder

"Then I can find no reason to objet."


	13. a long way for family

**Disclaimer; I don't own the Hobbit or P.J's movies**

_A/N; whoohoo another chapter! Thanks to Lady of laketown for all of your feedback! This chapter's kind of a long one so I hope you enjoy,_

The next morning the company woke up to the sun shining into the valley.

As they ate breakfast Kili and Fili discussed what to do with their day.

"You know" Fili began "I heard that they have an impressive forge here"

"Is that so? It may be worth taking a look, but we don't really have anything to make. None of our swords need to be re-forged. I suppose we could always make something new"

"Aye I suppose so" Fili said

A grin spread onto both of their faces

"But what on earth to make?" Kili said feigning distress

"That is the question my brother. Perhaps something small; we don't want to use up all of our hosts resources"

"Indeed, that would be rude of us. But I am in need of nothing and neither are you. Maybe we could make something for someone else then."

Kili caught his brother's eye. An unspoken conversation went on between the two in that brief moment, both sharing the same idea.

The two rose up from the ground and sauntered off in search of the forge.

"So you want to court rowan eh?" Kili grinned, your gona have your hands full with her.

Fili smiled "that I will. But I wouldn't want it any other way"

He turned to look at Kili "so you want to court Elira then?"

Kili nodded "I hope uncle will approve. It's been worrying me for a while now. She's half elf… what if Uncle says no?"

Fili put an arm around his brother

"I do not believe he will. Elira has proven her self during this quest – she helped save all of us from the trolls. Even uncle has taken a bit of a shine to her"

The two wandered around for a bit more before they finally stopped and reluctantly asked a passing elf for help, who chuckled and led them to the forges

When they got there they were surprised to find the first forge already occupied by Balin and Dwalin.

The two older dwarfs looked up at them

"What are you doing in here?" Dwalin asked suspiciously

"Nothing!" they said quickly

"What are you doing down here" Fili asked

"Nothing!" the older dwarfs said shooing them out.

...0.0...0.0...0.0..00..0

After lunch the rest of the company made their way out to the training grounds.

Elira was surprised to see Elladan and Elrohir already out on the grounds waiting for her. This morning at breakfast they had offered to give her archery lessons, which she had readily agreed to.

She was also surprised to find that they already had a bow for her. Unlike Rowans recurve bow this one was a shortened long bow, which the twins informed her they had modified it to fit her height. It was made of beautiful dark wood with gold leafing inset into it. Also unlike Rowans bow the draw weight was less so it was easier for her to pull back.

The twins led her to a range alongside the training grounds and began their lesson.

Rowan was also receiving lessons that afternoon. In Dwalin's absence Thorin had decided to take over her training for the day.

He started by teaching her the moves then letting her practice them with him.

After he was satisfied with her progress he then had her spar with members of the company to gauge just how advanced of an opponent she could hold her own against.

She had started with Ori, who she had quickly disarmed, then Bofur- which she had narrowly won, then on to Gloin- who she was currently fighting.

Thorin sat on the edge of the arena smoking his pipe watching the fight occasionally yelling out advice or what she was doing wrong.

Though Gloin only had a few inches on her, he also had years of experience and at least 60ounds on her.

The fight, just like the one with Dwalin, ended up in a loss for Rowan when Gloin had been able to 'land' a blow stopping just inches from her neck.

Rowan flopped back onto the dirt breathing heavily. She looked over at Elira to see how her lessons were going.

Elira had discovered she had a knack for the bow, something the twins had said had to do with her elf blood. Though most of the arrows had only hit the edge of the target when she had first started, by now all of them landed with in the inner three rings.

The clanging sound to her right had ceased, signaling that someone had just won another training match. Elira turned to see who it was and saw rowan laying on the ground breathing hard, and Gloin standing across from her chuckling.

"Perhaps you would like to switch to sword play now?" Elladan asked following her gaze

Elira nodded and together they walked to the adjacent sparing patch.

Elira found sword fighting a bit harder to learn. She had lost count of how many times the twins had disarmed her.

'_I don't know how Rowan does this'_ she thought.

Rowan was currently taking a break by sparing with Bilbo so he could practice the moves he had been learning.

"Wow such challenging opponents you pick mo annym"

Rowan looked to her left to see Fili standing there.

"Nice of you to show up" Rowan smirked

"My brother and I have been busy elsewhere."

She quirked and eye brow and was about to retort when Dwalin and Balin entered the training area.

"I must say master Dwalin I guess you must not have trained Rowan here as well as I thought if she has to spar with poor Mr. Baggins here" Fili said trying to get a rise out of the older dwarf.

Dwalin snorted "don't be so cocky lad, the lass is ten times better than you were in training."

"Is that so?"

Dwalin grinned "Aye that it is. Get out there lass and show him"

Rowan looked at Dwalin in shock "you want me to fight him?"

"Aye. Now get on with it."

Rowan looked to Thorin for help but he only gave her a thumbs up.

The two walked to the center of the training ring

"Don't worry lass I'll go easy on you" Fili beamed at her

Rowan quirked and eyebrow at him. She was beginning to grow more and more irritated at him.

They both took their stances and waited

" Begin!" Thorin shouted

Fili was the first to move- leaping at the young woman who side stepped his attack. Rowan then swung at him while his back was to her only to have it blocked by his sword.

The two continued to spar the dull sound of metal on metal resounding through the field.

Elira had stopped her lesson to watch. She loudly cheered on rowan as her friend dodged another of the prince's attacks.

"Perhaps you and I should spar next" Kili declare, coming up alongside of her.

"Yah because that fight would last very long."

" don't underestimate yourself" Kili encouraged " I do believe my brother is regretting trying to go easy on Rowan right now" he laughed looking out at the fight

Rowan had Fili on the defensive now berating him with a barrage of constant swings.

Elira laughed as well "I don't think she took too kindly to his comments earlier."

When she looked back at the fight Fili had turned the tables on Rowan, who was now dodging his blows.

Then in the blind of an eye the elder prince tripped Rowan onto her back. He straddled her chest pinning her to the ground his arms pinning hers to the ground.

He smiled down at rowan is blond hair handing down around his face "I win"

He then looked up to face the cheering dwarfs, pumping his fists in the air.

Rowan seized her chance. She wrapped her free legs around his legs and with one last great burst of energy flipped the dwarf so now she was the one on top. She pinned his arms just like he had done to her, and sat on his chest to prevent him from getting up.

Rowan grinned down at him "I win"

This brought a chorus of booming laughter and cheers from the dwarfs. Even Elladan and Elrohir were laughing and cheering.

Fili found himself laughing too "well played mo annym"

"Shouldn't have taken you eye off the prize"

She rolled off of him and onto the ground. Elira offered her a hand up which she gladly accepted.

After the ruckus had died down the company decided to stop for the day and have dinner.

Rowan and Elira walked together back to their rooms and washed up for dinner.

Elira stopped at Rowans room when she had finished to help rowan put on her dress.

"Jeeze I can see why you asked for help" she said staring at the bruises on Rowans body.

"Yah well that ground aint exactly soft" Rowan muttered as Elira helped her pull the dress over her head.

After dinner the company once again all gathered in the make shift camp.

Fili and Kili had disappeared once more Elira noted.

Rowan sat next to Ori who was showing her his sketch book.

"Umm Miss. Rowan I have something for you." The young dwarf stuttered

He reached behind him and pulled out a small bundle of yarn which he placed in rowans hands.

"I wanted to say thank you for saving me from the warg earlier."

Rowan looked at the bundle in her hands as she lifted it up she saw it was a pair of knitted gloves mad of dark grey yarn. They had no fingers only one large hole for her fingers and a smaller one for her thumb. She slipped them on was surprised to find they fit perfectly. They were beautifully done and very warm.

"Ori did you make these? They're brilliant thank you I love them!"

The young dwarf blushed.

As she questioned him about his knitting skills something blocked out the fire light in front of them.

Dwalin stood in front of them. He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Rowan can I have a word with you?"

Rowan nodded apprehensively before apologizing to Ori for having to leave and rising to her feet and following Dwalin to the other side of the court yard where Balin and Thorin stood.

Rowan slowed her walk as she saw them standing there

'_What on earth have I done now?'_

"Listen if this is about beating Fili this afternoon I don't think what I did really constitutes as cheating…."

Thorin's brow furrowed "Rowan you arnt in trouble"

Balin chuckled "of course not lass. And what you did to the Lad today was a fine example of fighting"

"We wanted to talk to you about something" Dwalin said coming to stand next to Balin

He extended his closed fist to her and Rowan instinctively held out her hand. Dwalin opened his fist and dropped its contents in her palm.

Rowan stared at the small object in her hand. It was a small silver bead with tiny markings on it.

She looked up at him "I don't understand"

"Do you know what that is lass?"

She shook her head

"You know that for us dwarfs our braids mean different things aye? Well beads like that are also used to mark different things. This one particular is a clan bead. My clan to be exact."

Rowan looked down at the bead then back at Dwalin

"What.."

"I know I can't replace your father, but if you'll accept I'd like to take you in as my kin."

"You want to adopt me?" said rowan asked in shock.

"Aye. But it is up to you lass if you don't wish t….."

"Yes"

"Don't you want some time to think?" he asked

Rowan shook her head and gave him a teary smile

Balin pulled her into a hug "welcome to the family lass" he said pulling away

Thorin chuckled and clapped Dwalin and Rowan on the shoulder "I do believe this calls for a celebration!"

The four of them walked back to the company and stopped in front of them all.

Dwalin still had his hand on rowans shoulder, and Rowan was smiling through teary eyes.

"Lads get a mug it's time for a celebration" Thorin announced "All of you bear witness to this event. On this day, I Thorin son of Thrain- head of the Long beard clan do give my approval and declare that Rowan Firebrand is now the ward of Dwalin son of Fundin and by extension a member of the Longbeard clan."

There was a beat of silence before the company erupted in cheers mugs were passed out and a toast was made.

"Now lass the last thing to do is to put in your braid." Dwalin said

Rowan nodded and sat in front of him

"If you would like lass I can also put in another one for your parents clan using that bead around your neck."

Rowan nodded enthusiastically and unclasped the bead form the chain around her neck handing it to the dwarf.

Gently he pulled the top half of her hair back and began to braid. The first braid went around the back of her ear and fell below her clavicle. The second braid then mirrored the first on the opposite side. Finally he clasped the silver bead on to the second braid and let the top layer of her hair free.

Rowan took one braid in each hand and looked at them excitedly. They looked quite different.

"It's been a while but I still remember how to do your family's braid. Mahal knows how many times I had to help your father redo his when we were kids." Dwalin said with a shrug.

Rowan turned and hugged him

"Thank you" she whispered "but you realize now you're stuck with me"

Dwalin chuckled softly "Well I have always wanted a daughter"

0.0.00...0.0.0..0.0.0...0

Fili and Kili returned to the camp a while later and imminently made their way over to their uncle.

"Uncle we would like to speak with you in private" Fili said

Thorin looked at his nephews and nodded following them to the hall outside of the court yard.

"What is it boy is something wrong?" he asked them worriedly

"No uncle were fine" Kili replied shaking his head.

Thorin noticed how fidgety they both were and quirked an eyebrow.

"Well uncle we came to ask your permission for something…." Fili began

A key clicked in Thorin's head

"You want my permission to court Elira and Rowan don't you?"

The brothers looked surprised

"How did you know?"

"I may be older but I am not blind. I see how you are with them. Plus Dwalin and Balin said they saw you two in the forges today and now your fidgety behavior- it does not take a scholar to piece it together."

The two looked at each other before each pulling out a silver bead from their pockets.

His face became sterner "you are my heirs it is your children that will take the throne one day. Thus you are to choose s spouse who will be fit to rule alongside of you"

His nephew's faces fell.

"That being said, Kili thought Elira is part Elf she has also proven herself to be worthy to be called dwarf friend plus she is of noble blood and a princess in her own right. I have no ill will towards the elves of Lothlorien for they have given us aid in the past. I think she will be a good fit for you."

Kili looked up at his uncle "so you approve of my choice?"

"I do"

Thorin then turned to Fili "now Fili as my first heir your marriage will be the most important. Though Rowan is of half Dwarven blood the other half is still human. If you marry and have children they will be a quarter human. I'm not saying I don't approve quite the opposite in fact- I think she would make a great queen one day- but you must know that if you do choose her, you must be prepared for the back lash that may follow from the other dwarven clans."

"I understand uncle. But I still choose her over what over may come"

"Well then you have my blessing."

"Thank you uncle"

"But Fili you are not done yet."

Fili looked at Thorin in confusion

"You also need her father's permission."

"But Thorin how…."

Thorin chuckled "you missed out on the big news while you were gone. Dwalin has adopted Rowan as his daughter"

Fili went a bit pale and Kili howled with laughter

"You are not done yet either Kili, as I recall Elira has family here as well."

Kili stopped laughing immediately.

"When you have gotten Dwalin and Lord Elrond's blessing then you may ask Rowan and Elira" Thorin said chuckling to himself, leaving his nephews in stunned silence.

The two brothers stood side by side.

"Fee it looks like we have work to do"

A/N; yay some cute family time! Man this was a long one, so in the next chapter or so we'll be leaving Rivendell and back on the quest!


	14. a long way for love

**Disclaimer I don't own the hobbit or P.J's movies**

Over the next two days Kili and Fili made several attempts to talk to Elrond and Dwalin, each time ending in failure.

On the morning of the third day of their attempts they vowed to accomplish their task by the end of the day.

Kili was the first to make his final attempt.

He prowled around Rivendell in search of the Elf lord and with the help of a passing elith was able to locate him inside of a study adjacent to one of the libraries.

Mustering up all of his courage he put his fist to the door and knocked

"Enter" Elrond's voice called from inside.

Slowly he pulled the large oak door open and stepped inside.

The elf appeared to be surprised to see who it was.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure master dwarf?" Elrond inquired lacing his fingers together in front of him.

"I have come to discuss with you a matter of great importance Lord Elrond" Kili said giving a small bow

"And what would that be?" Elrond asked rising up from his seat at the desk, and walking over to the young dwarf.

'It's now or never' Kili thought

He straightened is back trying to look the elf in the eye, and taking a deep breath replied

"I wish to court Elira, and I have come to ask for your blessing sir."

Elrond had a bemused expression on his face as he studied the dwarf in front of him.

"How very unexpected; A dwarf wishing to court and elf. Quite unorthodox. But I can see you are serious in this matter and I have also not missed your dalliances with my niece since your arrival."

Elrond smiled down at Kili "if it is my blessing you seek master dwarf you may have it. But I will give you fair warning; treat her wrong and I'm sure my sons will be paying you a visit."

Kili nodded "I would never dream of it, she is my one."

After thanking him again Kili ran off from the study, excited to go tell his brother and uncle.

Fili had been trying to get Dwalin alone all morning without much luck. But finally after breakfast he found his chance. As everyone was leaving for the training grounds Fili hung back and waited for Dwalin to pass by him before grabbing the older dwarfs arm.

"I would like a word in private master Dwalin if you don't mind."

The older dwarf nodded and followed Fili to the edge of the courtyard.

"What's this about lad?" Dwalin asked

Fili took a deep breath, mustering all of his courage.

Trying to stand as confidently as he could he faced the older dwarf.

"Master Dwalin, I wish to court Lady Rowan- I believe that she is my one. Given your new role in her life I have come to ask for your blessing."

Dwalin stood with his arms crossed over his chest one eyebrow raised as he looked down at the prince.

"Well now, I've only been her father for one day and I've already got suitors at my door" he chuckled "it's not really up to me lad, I haven't been in her life long enough to try and dictate what she should and shouldn't be doing. The choice of courting is hers not mine. But if it will help you rest easy I approve of you as a suitor for her and if needed I give you my blessing."

He clasped two burly hands on Fili's shoulders.

Dwalin leaned in closer his eyes narrowing "it may not be my business who she chooses to court but Mahal help me if you hurt her Thorin will have to find himself a new heir cus they'll never find your body. Understand lad?"

Fili nodded "I would never."

Dwalin patted his shoulder "Good. Well best of luck to yah lad."

Fili grinned and took off to find Kili, excited to tell him the good news.

The two brothers in all of their excitement ran smack right into each other. But not even knocking heads could quell their excitement as they began to plan.

Elira had agreed to meet Bilbo in the library that night to examine some of the old maps that were stored away in it. They had gone the day before but had barely put a dent in the collection.

She flitted down the path way and into the grandiose library. It had by far become one of her favorite spots in the city.

When she entered she did not find Bilbo waiting for her as she had expected. Instead Kili sat on the desk in front of her smiling.

"well you're the last person I thought to find in here" she laughed " have you seen Bilbo around? He is supposed to meet me here"

Kili shook his head "he's not coming"

"Not coming? Then why did he ask me to meet him here?"

"I told him to" he said with a wink

"And why is that?"

"Because I wanted it to be just the two of us for this" he said reaching in his pocket and pulling out a small cloth bag.

He opened it and pulled out a silver hair bead with the same crest he had on his. A small emerald shone brightly in the center of it.

"Elira Leaflin I would like to begin courting you." He said placing the bead in her hand "this is a courting bead. If you accept I will put a courting braid in your hair with this at the end of it." He explained.

Elira could barely contain her excitement.

"Of course I accept!"

She reached up and kissed him wrapping her arms around his neck.

Elira sat in front of Kili as he wove a small section of the hair into a braid.

"There we go" he said clasping the bead at the end.

Elira reached a hand up and felt the braid which was in the middle of the left side of her head. She was practically vibrating with excitement.

"And now it's your turn." Kili said sitting in front of her.

Slowly she began to braid his hair taking great care to make it nice.

"So this was what you were doing when you disappeared a few days ago?" she guessed.

"Indeed"

"So if Fili was with you too then does that mean…."

"Yes it does. I do believe at this very moment Miss Rowan will be getting a similar surprise."

0..00...0.0.0..00...00...0.0.0...0…...0

Rowan sauntered her way down the passage to the lower grounds. She was on her way to meet Ori in the gardens for a walk.

She sat down on one of the stone benches in the garden and waited for Ori to arrive. She heard heavy foot falls approaching soon after and turned to greet Ori.

Except it was not Ori but Fili.

"Hello mo annym" he said sitting next to her

"Hello to you as well, you know for someone who got their butt kicked yesterday you really shouldn't be missing out on training. Or were you too scared that I was going to kick your butt again to show up?" Rowan said teasingly.

Fili grinned "you keep telling yourself that's what happened mo annym. Whatever makes you feel better. Just remember who got pinned first" he gave her a playful nudge with his shoulder.

"It would appear I have been stood up" rowan said looking around

"Oh?"

"Yah, Ori was supposed to meet me here for a walk but it looks like the little bugger stood me up."

Fili chuckled "don't be mad at poor Ori, there was never any walk. I just used him to get you here."

He pulled out a small cloth pouch and pulled out the bead from inside. It had the Durin emblem on it and dwarf runes around the top and bottom with a sapphire set into the middle of it.

"I assume you know what this is?"

Rowan nodded. Dwalin and Balin had been giving her an overview of dwarf culture over the last two days.

"Rowan Firebrand will you accept my courtship?" he asked

Rowan smiled "of course I will"

After they had finished each other's braids, Rowans newest one towards the back of middle of the right side of her head, the two walked hand in hand back to the court yard. When they got there they were met with a chorus of cheers from the company, who after Kili and Elira had returned with their happy announcement, guessed what their smiles were for.

Elira and Rowan rand over to each other, excitedly telling the other what had happened.

Kili and Fili also met with each other. The brothers sharing an embrace before Thorin came over and clasped a hand on each of their shoulders.

_A/N; so I've been debating on having one of the girls stay back with Gandalf and the other go on with the company? What do you guys think? Regardless we'll be leaving Rivendell in the next chapter or so!_


	15. A long way over the mountains

**Disclaimer I do not own the Hobbit or P.J's movies**

_A/N; Yay were back on the road again! I've decided to go with a mix of the book and movies for some of the things to come but for now I'm going off the movies._

The company was once again out in the training grounds. Most of them had benefited greatly from the days of training they had been getting while in Rivendell.

Rowan could now hold her own against Gloin and was even beginning to train for multiple attackers. Elira could now shoot almost as well as Kili and was also starting to get the hang of sword play. Even Bilbo had improved, he could now hold his own against Elira.

Currently everyone was watching Bilbo and Ori fight each other. It was a pretty even fight, and bets were being taken about who would win. In the end though everyone was wrong when the match ended in a draw when both Bilbo and Ori managed to knock each other to the ground at the same time.

Rowan was sitting on the side lines congratulating the Hobbit on his near victory when Biffer came over to her and began to speak to her.

"He says that he wants to know if you would like to spar with him." Bofur explained.

Rowan cocked her head "I know what he was asking."

She then replied haltingly in the same language

The dwarfs looked over at her

"You speak Khuzdul?" Bofur asked

Rowan shrugged "I don't know what Khuzdul is but if it's what Biffer speaks then yes. Adara and Bozwin taught it to me when I was younger. They said it was the language that they spoke in their village. I don't remember a lot of it tough; it's been years since I've ever used it. But I know enough to get the gist of what Biffer says."

Rowan went off to spar with Biffer- Something which proved to be much more of a challenge than she thought; the dwarf was a lot quicker than most of the others and just as strong. He managed to disarm her in less than two minutes.

After training Rowan decided to go for a walk around Rivendell, since tonight was their last night in the elvin city. She loved it there; it was so peaceful and relaxing. She walked into a large stone veranda that over looked the waterfall. As she entered she could see that there was already someone there.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bother….." Rowan stopped when the woman turned. She had never seen anyone so beautiful. The woman's hair was a pail blond which stood out against the pure white dress that she wore. She seemed to radiate an unearthly light.

"_You are not bothering me Rowan Firebrand. In fact I have been waiting for you"_

Rowan stepped back as a woman's voice spoke in her head- the same voice that had called her to middle earth.

"Who are you?"

The Elf smiled _"I am lady Galadriel"_

The light clicked in Rowans mind

'_So this is Eli's grandmother…'_

"Indeed I am" this time the elf spoke out loud to Rowan

"You can read minds?" Rowan asked a bit taken a back

"Among other things…"

"Why were you waiting for me?" she asked

"There are things I wish to discuss with you."

Rowan nodded slowly

"This quest is a dangerous undertaking. Thought I know it is her destiny, I fear for my granddaughter's safety."

Rowan shook her head "you have no need for worry, if the need arises I will protect her my Lady"

Galadriel smiled "I have no doubt. I have seen glimpses of your lives through the mirror. Your loyalty to her runs deep."

She extended her hand to rowan and produced a small gold bangle in the shape of a leaf and vine. "This will mark you as a guard of Lothlorien- an elf friend" she explained placing it on rowans forearm. "Now before you depart there is one more thing"

She glided over to a stone basin the the center of the terrace, beckoning Rowan to join her.

"Will you look in to the mirror?" she asked filing the basin with water

Rowan looked at it. She felt a wave of uncertainty wash over her.

"What will I see?"

"The mirror shows many things. Things that were, and things that are, and some things that yet may be." The Elf replied.

Rowan slowly nodded and slowly approached it basin.

She looked down into the still water within.

Slowly images began to surface in the water.

She saw Fili carrying a small child, Thorin sitting on a stone throne, Elira and Kili laughing. The images changed and she saw images from her childhood- camping with bozwin, her first riding lesson. The images sped up and became blurred. When they stopped she could see a battle raging, the sound of steel on steel echoing among cries of rage and agony. She felt fear begin to creep inside of her as she continued to watch. The image changed once more- now she was in a small house clutching the arm of a woman. A man opened the door to the room shouting at them to run. The smell of smoke was in the air. Rowan realized why what she was seeing was so familiar- it was what her dreams had been about- it was the day her family was attacked. She watched it play out in front of her, as memories flooded back to her.

With a gasp she tore herself away from the mirror.

Galadriel stood in front of her still. She too was gazing at the water below.

"Did you see all of that?" Rowan asked

"Some" She replied vaguely

The elf smiled down at her "I must take my leave now. But remember this" she took rowans hand in her own "Fear does not negate Bravery."

And with a rustle of wind she was gone.

...0...0.0...0.0...00.

That evening Thorin informed the company of what the hidden runes on the map said and told them they would be departing Rivendell at first light.

The company all began to pack for the trip and Rowan and Elira headed back to their rooms.

"Are you all packed?" Rowan asked her

Elira shook her head "I'm not leaving just yet."

Rowan stopped walking "what do you mean?"

"I'm staying behind with Gandalf to attend the council meeting. We will then meet you and the company in the mountains."

"Maybe I should stay back too, just in case."

Elira shook her head "I will be fine Rowan. I'll have Gandalf with me, it will be perfectly safe"

.0...0.0.0...00.0...0...0..0.0.0..0.00.0.

Rowan looked over her shoulder at the retreating city behind her. After saying goodbye to Elira the company had set off to the mountains early that morning under the cover of dawn.

"Stop worrying lass, Elira is one tough lady she'll be fine. Plus she's got a wizard with her, which is more than be said about us." Bofur said coming up next to her.

"I know." She said tearing her eyes away from the city.

She walked up behind Bilbo who was looking wistfully back at the elven land.

Rowan patted him on the shoulder "don't worry Bilbo one day you and I will go back there."

The hobbit smiled up at her "do you think so?"

"I know we will" She said smiling down at him.

At that moment Thorin yelled back at them to hurry up and the two set off together into the misty mountains.

0.0.0...0.0.0..00.0...0.0.0..0..0.0.0..0…..0.0...0.0..0.0.00..0.0

Elira followed Gandalf and Lord Elrond out onto a stone terrace, listening as the two spoke.

"With or without our help, these Dwarves will march on the mountain. They're determined to reclaim

their homeland. I do not believe Thorin Oakenshield feels that he is answerable to anyone. Nor, for that matter, am I."

Elrond raised an eyebrow "It is not me you must answer to."

He turned his head to the edge of the terrace. Eliras eyes widened when she saw the woman standing there. She reminded Elira of her mother.

Gandalf gave a small bow "Lady Galadriel."

Eliras head snapped to Gandalf then back to the woman. '_This is my grandmother?!'_

"Mithrandir." Galadriel said smiling

Then she closed the gap between them and stood in front of Elira.

Galadriel cupped her cheeks with her hands and looked at her.

"I have waited many years to meet you" she said pulling Elira into an embrace.

After a moment she pulled back and smiled down at her. Elira couldn't help but smile back.

"I had no idea Lord Elrond had sent for you." Gandalf said

Elrond cleared his throat "He didn't."

"I did." said a new voice.

A man dressed in all white emerged from the shadows

"Ah. Saruman." Gandalf said looking like a child who had been caught breaking the rules.

The Wizards took seats around a stone table while Elrond Elira and Galadriel stood on either side of the table.

"You've been busy of late, my friend. Tell me, Gandalf...did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?"

"Unnoticed? No. I'm simply doing what I feel to be right." Gandalf defended

Galadriel stepped forward "The dragon has long been on your mind."

"That is true, my lady. Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy...a dragon could be used to terrible effect."

"Enemy what enemy"

Elira was listening to the wizards quarrel when a voice spoke in her mind

"_You are troubled_?"

She looked up at Galadriel

"_Yes. My friends have departed for the mountains. I worry for their safety."_

"_Dwarfs are strong and not easily slain, they will find their way." _ She paused for a moment before continuing _"you are right to help on this quest. You were born to do great things my dear"_

.0.0...0.0...0.0...0.0.00...0.0.00.

"Hold on!"

Rowan clung to the side of the slick mountain face, rain pelting her face.

"We must find shelter!" Dwalin roared over the crash of thunder

Rowan clung to the wall even tighter as another crack of thunder echoed in the sky.

"Is this a bad time to mention I'm very afraid of thunder?" she yelled to Fili who clung to the rock next to her.

"Look out!"

A large boulder came crashing down onto the rock near the company

"This is no thunderstorm. It's a thunder-battle!" Balin yelled

The company all looked in horror and amazement as the shape of a large stone man came into view

"Well, bless me. The legends are true. Giants! Stone-Giants!" Bofur said leaning in for a better look

"Take cover, you fool!" Thorin yelled grabbing him, pulling him back against the wall.

Suddenly the ground beneath their feet began to shake. A large crack appeared in the stone between the company.

"What's happening?" Kili yelled from Rowan other side.

The two of them stared in horror as the crack became wider and began to pull away from the other side of the rock and away from the rest of the company.

"Grab my hand!" Fili yelled desperately

But it was too late.

A sudden horrible realization dawned on Rowan '_shit. Were on one of those things legs!'_

They all clung desperately o the rock as they were swung about.

Kili began to lurch forward as the giant suddenly moved again. Rowan lunged and grabbed him by the hood of his tunic yanking him back.

She could hear screaming and looked up in time to see them swinging past the rest of the company who had made it safely to the other side.

Her relief was short lived as the giant began to fall down sending them crashing lead long into the rock wall.


	16. A long way Down, Down

**Disclaimer I do not own the Hobbit or P.J's movies (If I did I wouldn't be working 35 hours a week to pay for school)**

_Hey guys sorry about the long time in between updates. I've been absolutely swamped with work and classes and now the word on my computer isn't working so I have to type the chapters in the doc manager so I apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes that may be in this chapter. And as a thank you for all of your patience I'll be updating the next chapter by this weekend! This is kind of a short filler one but the next chapter will be much longer!_

"No!" Thorin yelled as he watched the giants leg smash into the mountain wall. His cries mixed in with the rest of the company as they looked on in horror.

the giant then fell away from the wall, tumbling down into the abyss below.

Thorin an the others rushed around the corner.

Throin felt his heart soar as he saw the others all jumbled together along the cliff face- alive and mostly unharmed.

...0.0...0.0.0...0...0.00...0.0.0...0..00...0.0.00...0..0

Rowan groaned as she slowly sat up. Dazed, she looked down at her hands in disbelief '_I cant believe we survived'_

She slowly became aware of her name being called. Still dazed she sluggishly looked around for the source.

The blurred image of Dwalin's face appeared in front of her, and she blinked several times to focus her vision.

"what?" she asked taking his hand as he helped hoist her to her feet.

"I said are you ok?" he asked putting his hands on her shoulders,looking her over

"oh yeah, I'm alright." Rowan said as a large grin formed on her face "Awww look at you. You look like a worried mother hen."

Dwalin shook his head and chuckled "you'll be the death of me you know."

around them the rest of the company were getting to their feet, dusting themselves off and gathering their packs.

Bofur looked around as he straightened his hat "wheres Bilbo?"

this caught everyone's attention as they all began to look around for the hobbit.

"over here"

the company rushed to the ledge of the cliff where Bilbo was clinging for dear life.

Thorin grabbed onto the ledge and grabbed the hobbit with his free hand. as he began to pull him up he slipped on the wet rock and the two began to fall down into the dark below.

Dwalin lurched forward and grabbed Thorin bey the scruff of his coat and hulled the two back onto the cliff.

"I thought we had lost our burglar" Dwalin huffed

Thorin turned to glare at the hobbit who shrank a bit under his gaze."He's been lost ever since he left home" he spat.

The dwarf king then pushed forward "come on we must find shelter"

after a bit they were able to find a cave

"search to the back, caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied"

Rowan looked pensively around wondering what could possibly live up here.

"Theres nothing here" Dwalin called back

Rowan's heart soared she was soaked to the bone and was beginning to feel the adrenalin from earlier wearing off.

she shuffled into the cave along with everyone else and dropped her bag along the wall. A streak of red caught her eye as Kili walked past.

"are you ok?" she asked him as he sat down next to her

"Just a scratch" he said smiling

"just a scratch my ass." rowan deadpanned. "don't move" she said pointing a finger at him before she turned and began to rummage around her satchel until she found her medical kit.

she wet a towel with rubbing alcohol and dabbed it against the cut before sticking a band aid on it.

"Pretty and talented , I can see why my brother likes you so much."

"yah well I'm glad three years of med classes are finally being put to use" Rowan laughed

"Right then lets get a fire going" Gloin said pulling out some logs from a pack.

"no fires, not here."Thorin said "everyone get dome rest, we continue on at first light"

Rowan frowned '_what about Elira and Gandalf?'_

Balin shared her concern "we were supposed to wait for Elira and Gandalf. that was the plan."

Thorin turned to look at him. "plans change" he said before stalking off to his bed roll.

Rowan began to feel sick '_if we don't wait for them here they may never find us once we move on. I wont be able to find Elira!'_

as she lay there worrying, Fili strolled over and rolled out his bed roll along side Rowans.

She felt a hand slip around her waist as Fili pulled her into him, pressing her back against his chest. too tired and too cold to protest Rowan relaxed against him. despite her worried thoughts her exhausted body won out in the end and she drifted to sleep listening to the rain pelt the ground out side the cave.

Rowan stirred and opened her eyes. she could hear a scuffling near by. slowly she sat up and looked around the cave. not far from her she could see Bilbo organizing his pack. Slowly she pulled her self out from under Fili's arm and crept over to the hobbit

"Bilbo what are you doing?"she whispered

the hobbit jumped a bit

" I'm going back to Rivendell" the hobbit said firmly

"Bilbo thorin didn't mean what he said, and even if he did who cares he can be a prat at times, but the rest of the company knows that your a valuable member."

Bilbo shook his head " No he is right I should have never left the Shire." he turned away from her and bagan to move tward the mouth of thecave.

Rowan grabbed him by the shoulder. confused he turned around and saw Rowan quietly shouldering her pack and satchel

"what are you doing" he whispered

"coming with you. Were leaving at first light tomorrow but I wont leave with out Elira."

"what about Fili?" Bilbo asked

"Give me a moment?" she asked

Bilbo nodded and walked out to the mouth of the cave to wait for her.

"Fili" Rowan murmured lightly shaking his shoulder

"mmhhhh" he mumbled as he sleepily opened is eyes. as his eyes focused he frowned when he saw her pack "whats going on?"

"Bilbo and I are going back to Rivendell. I'm sorry Fili but I cannot leave Elira. Once I find her and Gandalf I wont rest until we catch up with you I promise."

Fili cupped her face and kissed her.

"I understand mo annym" he said, his eyes flicking momentarily to Kili "Be safe"

"I will" she said with a small smile. Giving his one last kiss she then turned towards the mouth of the cave.

She had only gone a few steps before she heard Bofur's voice echoing in front of her.

"Whats that?"

The cave entrance was suddenly bathed in an eerie pale blue glow just as she became aware of a quiet grating sound coming from below.

"Everyone up!" Thorins voice tore through the cave rousing the dwarfs from their sleep.

Rowan turned in time to see a large crack forming in the middle of the cave, sand disappearing into its depths as it formed.

She turned back to Fili just as the floor gave way sending them tumbling down into the dark below.

A/N: _sorry about the short chapter but not to fear the next one will go all the way through goblin town! I put in some daddy Dwalin in there. I'm going to try to develop their relationship slowly at first. I think he would need time to get used to parent hood. And don't worry we'll be seeing more of Elira chapter! Don't forget to review!_


	17. A long way to goblin town

**Disclaimer I do not own the Hobbit or P.J's movies. (if I did i would be able to fix my Microsoft office)**

_All right here it is finally were nearing the end of the first movie! and just as I promised its a long chapter! After the first movie 's events is where i plan on beginning on mixing in some of the book as well. And I'll apologize in advance for any spelling /grammar mistakes my Microsoft word still isn't working! thank God for the doc manager copy and paste option!_

The sound of the companies startled cries echoed in the tunnel as the company slid and tumbled their way down the passage, bumping in to rocks and each other along the way.

the tunnel ended abruptly ended and Rowan found herself falling midair, narrowly avoiding the sharp edges of the basin like cage she landed in. she mumbled her apologies to Bifur and Dori, who she had landed on, and began to sit up before the falling body of Bilbo knocked her back down.

all around her she could hear the rest of the company groaning as they righted themselves. then a new sound reverberated in the cavern- a chorus of high pitched shrieks.

the company looked wildly around them searching for the source of the sound.

Rowan felt a firm hand grab under her arm and hoist her to her feet. she had barely opened her mouth to thank Fili before Noris voice rang out

"Goblins!"

Rowan turned to look where the dwarf was pointing and instantly wished she hadn't. a swarm of foul looking creatures was rushing at them along the platform.

Fili's grip around her arm tightened as he drew her behind him.

"Don't let them see you" he whispered

From the corner of her eye she saw Kili slip behind her sandwiching her between the two brothers.

The creatures swarmed the company pulling and grabbing at whatever they could get their hands on.

Rowan punched at a goblin that tried to take her satchel, knocking it clean off the platform. But as soon as she knocked it away another took its place its filth hands trying to get under her coat. it was then that the meaning of Fili's words dawned on her, and for a moment the realization of what could happen to her if the creatures found out she was a woman sunk deep into the pit of her stomach. She shrunk against Fili's back even more as the goblins began to push the company forward along the rickety gangway.

The cave was suddenly filled with a horrid tune as the sound of clanging metal filled the air. Further and further sown the gangway the company was pushed until up ahead they could see the path opining up onto another platform.

The Goblins began to chant around them as a foul voice began to sing

**_Swish, smack! Whip crack!_**

**_Smash, grab! Pinch, nab!_**  
**_You go, my lad!_**  
**_Ho, ho! my lad!_**

From up ahead they could finally see what was making the noise. Rowan felt panic rise in her chest as she laid eyes on the great goblin. The mere sight of it made her gag. It was ten times the size of the other goblins and ten times as gruesome.

**_The black crack! the back crack!_**  
**_The black crack! the back crack!_**  
**_Down down to Goblin-town_**  
**_Down down to Goblin-town_**  
**_Down down to Goblin-town_**

Rowan swung blindly as she felt something grab her arm.

"Whoa there lass its just me" Bofur whispered from beside her

Rowan stared at the dwarf for a moment before an idea sprang into her head

"Bofur give me your hat, quickly"

The dwarf gave her a look but quickly handed over the floppy hat.

Swiftly Rowan tucked her pony tale into the hat and pulled it down over her head. The hat was a bit big on her and and came to a stop just before her eye brows effectively concealing her long hair.

"Good thinking lass" Bofur said from beside her.

**_You go, my lad!_**  
**_Ho, ho! my lad!_**

**_Goblins quaff, and Goblins beat_**  
**_Goblins laugh, and Goblins bleat_**  
**_Batter batter, [...] ho_**  
**_Below, my lad!_**  
**_Ho, ho! my lad!_**  
**_The black crack! the back crack!_**  
**_The black crack! the back crack!_**

They were nearly to the plat form now. The goblins still grabbing at them, pulling off the companies weapons and packs as they went.

From her other side she heard Biffer grunt. Turning she saw the dwarf wrestling with three goblins, one of whom was trying to pull the ax out of his skull. Furious Rowan yanked a small dagger from her boot and slammed it into the goblins skull then turned to stab another that was clinging to Biffer's shoulder. The dwarf smiled at her and grunted his thanks.

The goblins pushed them all out onto the platform where the Great Goblin was finishing his song.

**_Down down to Goblin-town_**  
**_Down down to Goblin-town_**  
**_Down down to Goblin-town_**  
**_You go, my lad!_**  
**_Ho, ho! my lad!_**

The Goblin finished his song and glowered at them from atop his throne.

"Well well what do we have here? Spies ? thieves? Assassins!?" the massive goblin asked, surveying the company.

"Dwarfs your malevolence" one of the goblins said gleefully "found em on the front porch"

"Well don't just stand there search them!"

The goblins surged at the company again grotesque fingers plying at them.

A goblin jumped onto Rowan's back attempting to rip off Bofur's hat. She wrestled with the thing- one hand blindly swinging at the creature, the other clinging to the hat for dear life.

Much to her relief, Kili ripped the goblin off of her back throwing it over the edge of the platform.

"Too close" he murmured to her.

Rowan could feel hands pawing at her from her place in between Kili and Fili. the goblins took what ever they could get their hands on- even Oin's ear trumpet was not spared. The goblins managed to get in between the brothers and finished disarming Rowan along with the rest of the company.

once they were finished the Great Goblin stood before the company. "What are you doing in these parts?! Speak!" he ordered.

No one moved.

A wicked grin splayed across the goblins disfigured mouth "Well then if you will not talk then we will make you squawk! Bring up the mangler bring up the bone breaker!"

Despite her fear as the goblins began to sing of the torture in store for them, Rowan couldn't help but cling to her one silver lining 'A_t least Elira will not have to endure this.'_

...0.00...0...0

Elira and Gandalf trudged along the mountain path looking for any sign of the company

"confounded those dwarfs" gandalf muttered to himself as they continued to search.

"There's a cave up ahead!" Elira called to him

She waited outside the entrance of the cave for Gandalf before following him in.

The old wizard needed only a moment of surveying the cave to recognize the signs. He stuck out a hand signaling Elira to stop.

"What is it?" she asked

"Goblins"

"Goblins?" Elira questioned as she followed the Wizard through a narrow tunnel

"Foul creatures akin to orcs. They dwell in the dark caves of the mountains."

"And you think they have the company!?"

Gandalf nodded "But take heart there is a good chance they are still alive. though I cannot say in what state they will be in; Goblins do not kill quickly their craft is that of pain much like dwarfs are masters of metal and gems, so goblins are of suffering. which is why we must act with haste."

Elira nodded and the two increased their pace delving further and further into the mountain.

'_hold on guys were coming'_

..0.0..00.0..00...0...0.0...0.0.0..00...0.0.0..0..0...0.

The company watched as the goblins brought up grizzly looking devices on to the platform

"start with the youngest!" The Goblin king yelled pointing a large haggard finger at Ori.

"Wait!"

Rowan turned to see Thorin walking up to the front of the group.

The goblin chuckled "Well, well, well! Look who it is; Thorin, son of Thrain son of Thror. King under the mountain. Oh! But I'm forgetting you don't have mountain, and you're not a king. Which makes you nobody really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours." he leaned in closer to Thorin " A pale orc astride a white warg."

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago!" Thorin growled

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" the goblin king laughed before turning to another goblin "Send word to the pale orc, tell him I have found his prize."

The little goblin cackled as it raced away in to the dark of the cavern.

The Goblin king began to sing again

_**"Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung, and you'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung. You will die down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin town."**_

A sudden shriek from one of the goblins silenced the song. it was holding Thorin's sword which it quickly threw to the ground.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!" The goblin king cried backing away from the sword.  
"Slash them, beat them, peel them, kill them all! "

The goblins heeded the order with glee. They began to claw and bite at the company, some carried whips which they lashed out at the company with. Rowan brought her arm up to block her face from one of the whips as it came crashing down at her.

The goblin king then turned his attention to Thorin "Cut off his head!"

In an instant Thorin was pinned to the ground by multiple goblins one of whom stood over him knife in hand ready to claim the would be kings head.

"Thorin!"

The company tried to aid their king but were hindered by the swarming mass of goblins that surrounded them.

Thorin tried to throw the goblins off of him as the knife loomed nearer to his throat. the goblin raised the knife grinning as it brought the blade down.

but the point never reached Thorin's skin. Just as the goblin brought the blade down an arrow pierced its skull.

0.0.0...0..0...0.0.0...0.0.0

Elira could see light up ahead of them as they raced down the tunnel. When they reached the end Gandalf motioned for her to crouch. Her eyes widened at the scene in front of them down below them the company stood on a rickety platform surrounded by grotesque creatures, which were viciously attacking them.

"Prepare your self" Gandalf told her as she pulled out her bow

she suddenly heard a voice shout "cut off his head!"

To her horror she saw that the creatures had pinned Thorin down as one wielded a large knife above him. Quickly she took aim and loosed an arrow, which found its mark in the creatures skull.

"An excellent shot my dear" Gandalf said"Now Take my hand and shield your eyes"

Elira did as he said and watched as he slammed his staff on to the ground. white light erupted from the staff and quickly filled the whole cavern. she shut her eyes and put her arm up to shield her self from the blast. when she opened her eyes again she found her self on the platform along side Gandalf.

The company and the goblins had been knocked over by the force of the blast and now all lay in a jumbled heap.

"Take up arms. Fight. Fight!"Gandalf yelled to them drawing his own sword

"He wields the Foe-hammer, the beater, bright as daylight!" the massive goblin yelled.

the company had recovered by that time and were scrambling to their weapons and packs

"Follow me. Quick! Run!" the wizard yelled spurring the company forward.

They ran after him along rickety gangways, with a swarm of goblins to on their trail.

"Jump" Thorin yelled to them as he cut he ropes securing one platform letting it swing onto the next.

Rowan swung her sword left and right having no time to pull out her bow.

Just as it seemed as though the had made it, the floor in front of them burst into splinters as the goblin king erupted from under it.

"You thought you could escape me!" he said pushing Gandalf and the dwarves backwards

"What are you going to do now, wizard?"  
Gandalf lurched forward and poked him in the eye with his staff, then with one clean swing of his sword cut across the goblin's stomach,

The great goblin fell on to his knees and looked blankly at the wizard "That'll do it."

The goblin kind crashed down onto the bridge, splintering the last of the intact boards,plunging the company and Gandalf into the deep cavern below.

The company landed at the bottom of the cavern with a loud crash

Bofur chuckled "Well, that could have been worse."

just then the body of the goblin king came crashing down on top of the dwarfs

"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin groaned as he struggled out from under the debris

As Elira wiggled out of the pile a hint of movement caught her eye. She looked up to see hundreds of goblins rushing at them from above

"Gandalf!" She and Kili yelled in unison

"There's too many, we can't fight them."

Gandalf nodded "Only one thing will save us. Daylight!"


	18. A long way to goblin town II

_Hey guys here's a small chapter for you guys. I've been swamped with Midterms, But I wanted to give you guys something. Hopfully I'll have more time this weekend to update. the next chapter will bring us to the close of the first movie and into the second._

The company raced out of the tunnel and down the mountain side in to the waining light of the setting sun.

**"**Five, ...six, seven, eight. Bofur, that's ten... twelve. And Bombur, Elira and Rowan make fifteen..." Gandalf counted off as the company settled at the bottom of the hill. The old wizard's brows furrowed "Where's Bilbo? Where is our hobbit? Where is our hobbit?!"

**"**I thought he was with Dori!"

Dori looked at Gloin indignantly "Don't blame me!"

Gandalf rounded on the dwarf "And where did you last see him?"

"I think I saw him slip away when they first collared us." Nori answered for his brother

Elira looked worriedly up the hill "If Bilbo is still in there we have to go back for him!"

Gandalf nodded "What happened exactly? Tell me!"

**"**I'll tell you what happened." Said Thorin "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again, he is long gone."

Elira narrowed her eyes at the dwarf " That hobbit has risked his life to help you on this quest, and you wont even bother to make sure that he is not still in the hands of those things?!"

Guys in all the time i imagined what it would be like to be in college never did i picture me staying up all night labeling a plastic skull that i bought for my midterm

Thorin stared at her taken back by the normally amicable woman's forceful tone. "like I said our hobbit is long gone"

**"**No, he isn't."

Elira nearly jumped out of her skin as Bilbo suddenly appeared next to her.

**"**Bilbo Baggins. I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life." Gandalf said with a sigh of relief

**"**How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Rowan asked

"How indeed?"

Bilbo laughed shakily

"Oh, what does it matter? He's back." Said Gandalf patting the hobbit on the shoulder

"It matters. I want to know. Why did you come back?" said Thorin suspiciously

Bilbo sighed "Look, I know you doubt me. I know...I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my arm chair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause...you don't have one... A home. It was taken from you,.. but I will help you take it back if I can."

Elira smiled "even the smallest person can change the future" she murmured

"I guess you'll be wanting this back" Rowan said taking the floppy hat off her head and handing it to Bofur.

"Aye. Im glad it could be of use" he grinned as he stuffed the hat back on his head, ear flaps wobbling as he sauntered away.

"Mahal thank goodness that thing is finally gone" Fili said coming up next to Rowan

"you didnt like my hat?" Rowan asked playfully

"I think it came in handy in a pinch but I dont think it quite suited you"

"Well I think it looked marvelous" said Elira sitting down on a rock next to them followed by Kili

Elira felt hands go around her waist and felt Kili pull her back into her lap. she sighed leaning back into him and closed her eyes for a moment.

As she sat her ears pricked up. She could hear some thing close by, something moving.

A howl echoed around them. Elira's eyes snapped open and she jumped out of Kili's lap.

"Out of the frying pan" thorin growled

"And into the fire" Gandalf finished as the pale orc appeared on the crest of the hill. "Run!"


	19. A long way to fly

**_..._**

**_Hello everyone! Its been like forever since my last full up date! sorry for the long wait but Midterm are upon us! But oh my gosh were through the first movie! so from her on out I'll be mixing between book and movie a bit, because even though I love P.J and his movies there were some things in DOS I just did not like._**

...

The company sprinted along the flat as the wargs barreled down the hill side, snarling and howling as they went.

Elira could hear her pulse pounding in her skull as she raced along the rocky terrain. She had to stop short to keep from colliding with Dori who ad suddenly stopped running. Elira looked around and noticed the rest had stopped running too. Looking past the dwarf in front of her, she felt her stomach drop; Up ahead the flat stopped abruptly ending in a tall jagged cliff face.

"were trapped" she murmured fearfully.

She felt a whoosh of air as Gandalf rushed up beside her "Up into the trees. All of you! Come on, climb!" He shouted to them, motioning to the trees around them.

The company scrambled up into the nearest trees, hefting up branch by branch until they were out of the wargs path.

The seconds began to feel like hours as the orc pack finally entered the flat slowly making their way towards the dwarfs.

...

Rowan sat crouched on a thick branch watching the orcs fan out around them.

A flash of white caught her eye as the pack came nearer. Carefully she shifted to the branch next to her and looked out onto the flat. There were six or seven orcs all on wargs fanned out in the flat below, but it was the eighth that caught her attention.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the large white orc positioned at the head of the flat, its mouth was twisted into a cruel smile as it watched the company. Though she has seen orcs before, something about this one made Rowan's blood turn to ice in her veins

Rowan tore her gaze away from the creature below as she heard movement from up above her.

Just above her left shoulder she should see Thorin standing up in the tree, the color slowly draining from his face.

"Thorin?" She called uncertainly

"Azog" Thorin said in a voice barley above a whisper "It cannot be."

Rowan looked between the creature and Thorin, the realization hitting her in the chest like a brick.

Azog shouted out in a harsh guttural language lips curling into a sneer.

the pack sprung to life once more charging at the trees.

the flat was soon filled with shouts from the company as the wargs began leaping up at them, powerful jaws tearing off branches as the went.

...

Elira leaped into the next tree her slender fingers clawing at the bark for grip, as the other gave way under the weight of the wargs below. Looking around her she saw the rest of the company had been forced to do the same.

"Elira!" she turned hearing Gandalf call. the old wizard held a pine cone in his hands and brought it to the top of his staff. Elira watched as he quickly lit it on fire and dropped to Fili, before lighting another and tossing it to Her.

She caught the smoldering pine cone and looked back at the wizard in confusion. Gandalf nodded downwards and Elira followed his gaze to see Fili lighting another pine cone on fire before chucking the first one at a near by warg.

quickly she grabbed two more pine cones lit them and tossed one down to Bofur before throwing the original at the pack.

soon the ground around the pack was on fire forcing them to retreat further back on the hill.

the company cheered as they watched the pack backing away from the flat.

their joy was short lived however as the large tree began to give way, teetering until it was parallel to the ground, leaving the company suspended over the cliff face.

...

Rowan clung to the trunk for dear life, her legs dangling freely below her. She looked over at Bilbo who was hugging onto a thick branch next to her.

"Hanging in there Bilbo?" she asked with a wry grin

The hobbit gave her withering look in return.

the tree creaked drawing both of their attention.

Rowan's brows knit together as she watched thorin rise up to his full height.

"Thorin?" she called, but the would be king paid her no mind, instead he began to walk forward towards the pale orc who sat watching near by.

"Thorin what are you doing?!" Rowan yelled drawing the rest of the companies attention.

Thorin charged at the orc sword drawn, as Azog and his warg lept at him knocking him to the ground.

the company all began move, trying to right them selves in the tree so they could aid their leader

Rowan managed to get her leg up around the trunk, and was attempting to pull her self up when a small hand shot into view.

She grasped the hobbits hand and pulled her self up onto the trunk.

"Ok Bilbo we should..." but when she turned back to him, he was gone.

Rowan quickly began helping Kili up when she felt someone move behind her. turning she saw Elira rushing off the tree and into the flat, bow drawn.

"Elira No!" she yelled, her grip on Kili's arm preventing her from stopping her, a knot began to form in her throat as she watched her friend disappear in t the haze of the smoke.

...

Bilbo tackled the orc who was about to behead thorin, sending the both of them toppling to the ground. The hobbit stabbed at the creature finally lodging the blue blade into the creature's chest.

he rolled off the orc and onto the ground, pulse pounding.

He realized too late that this had left Thorin alone once more. turning he saw the orc standing above the dwarf sword raised. but the strike never came. Bilbo watched as a single arrow lodged its self in the lumbering orc's skull sending it crashing to the ground.

the Hobbit's heart soared as Elira came to a halt next to him, bow raised.

the two stood side by side in front of Thorin, facing down the pack in front of them.

the pale orc laughed motioning another orc forward. but before it could get more than a few feet it too dropped to the ground, arrow lodged in its chest.

Azog growled letting out a loud yell.

the rest of the pack then advanced on the two.

Elira could feel her heart hammering in her chest. They were on their own now.

As the pack closed in on them a loud cry ripped through the air. suddenly Kili, Fili, Dwalin, Bofur, Gloin, Dwalin, and Rowan emerged onto the smokey flat weapons drawn as they charged.

Elira pulled out her swords charging at an approaching orc. she felt the reverberation shudder through her arms as steel met steel- her bright lades locked with the orcs grizzly sword.

she gritted her teeth as the orc put more pressure on his sword pushing her blades further back.

in the back of her mind she could see Rowan leaning on bar where she worked, grinning at her from behind the counter_ '"Eli I'm gona tell you the only piece of bar brawl advice you'll ever need; if your out manned and out gunned always go for the low shot and when they're down elbow to the face. works every time."_

Elira smiled faintly and swung her leg up with all her might. the orc doubled back, Elira slammed her elbow into its head then buried her sword into its chest.

...

Rowan slashed her way through the flat her small satchel bumping against her hip as she moved. To her left she could see Bofur swing his war hammer wildly about, hearing a sickening crunch as it connected with a warg.

She dodged out of the way as the orc in front of her swung at her. She pooped back up ready to strike when large talons wrapped around the shoulders of the orc lifting it off the ground and over the ledge of the cliff.

Rowan stood there dumbfounded.

loud screeches then began to fill the valley as large eagles began landing on the flat some attacking the orcs while some carried off members of the company.

a large gust of wind nearly blew rowan backwards as one of the eagles landed in front of her. She stared at it for a moment trying to wrap her head around the birds existence, the eagles looked at her and motioned with its head for her to get on its back.

with a bit of reluctance Rowan climbed on.

as they climbed higher and higher Rowan began to relax. the view around her was breath taking.

she looked down at the Eagle for a moment "Umm I don't know if you can understand me but thanks for the save back there" she said awkwardly rubbing her hand on the back of her neck.

the eagle turned its head to look at her briefly before turning forward again.

"you are welcome young one" it spoke in a low rough voice

Rowan nearly fell of of its back "you can talk?"

"I can indeed"

"Oh" she said blankly, as she tried to grasp the new revelation "umm..do you have a name?"

The eagle turned to look at her once more, its large black eyes studying her for a moment "Rather inquisitive for a dwarf arn't you, I was under the impression they cared little about other races"

Rowan bushed "well I'm not all dwarf." shrugging she added "And besides why would I care about anyone any less because they're different than I am?"

"Hmm indeed. To answer your question I am silver wing"

"Its a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rowan"

the two began to descend finally landing on a small rock ledge.

"May Mahal watch over you Rowan. until we meet again" He said as Rowan slid off his back. Spreading his large wings the eagle took off back into the sky.

...

The rest of the company had been dropped off on the ledge as well. A final eagle drew their attention as it swooped down onto the ledge. It gently opened its talons laying Thorin's unconscious body on the rock before taking flight.

the company huddled around near their leader watching worriedly as Gandalf knelt over him.

After a moment Thorin's eyes cracked open.

"The hobbit? the elf?" he asked

"All safe" Gandalf assured him

Thorin rose to his feet "You! What were you two doing? You nearly got yourselves killed!" he glowered marching over to Elira and Bilbo "Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild, that you had no place amongst us, that your kind could not be trusted?"

Rowan felt her blood boiling as she listened, she could see Elira was near tears as the dwarf loomed over her.

Thorin's face softened "I have never been so wrong, in all my life."

Pulling Bilbo into a embrace

"And you" he said turning to Elira "I had my problems coming to terms with your courtship of my nephew. But now I can see you are nothing like those wo betrayed us, I was wrong to doubt, you are truly dwarf friend and so you shall be from this day forward."

He turned back to Bilbo "I am sorry I doubted you as well"

The hobbit shook his head "No, I...I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero, nor a warrior. Not even a burglar."

Rowan laughed a bit at the hobbits admission.

"Is that what I think it is?"

the company turned to look where Bilbo was looking

"Erebor! The Lonely Mountain. The last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle-earth." Gandalf confirmed

"Our home." Thorin added

Dwalin reached over and put a hand on Rowans shoulder "its your home now too lass"

She stared at the misty form on the horizon '_Home'_ she thought

a small bird swooped past them

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain."

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush."

"Well we'll take it as a sign, a good omen." Thorin said confidently

Bilbo smiled "You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us."

_A/N: yay were done the first movie! so Im trying to build a bit of the romance part but I dont want to make it like unrealistic so what do you guys think? can you feel the love?_

_don't__ forget to review! _


	20. A long way for bandages

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**Hey guys I'm back from Midterms! that means hopefully more regular updates! so sorry about any mistakes in the chapters my Microsoft word is still broken so I have to use the Doc manager instead . So yay were finally into DOS!**

**Wow 20 chapters already! I cant tell you how much the announce of views and follows/ favs on this story have blown me away! You guys are the best, I was so nervous writing this story even though I've been wanting to for a while But its just so nice to know people like this story! you guys rock.**

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After they had made the steep descent down from the ledge, the company set up a make shift camp around the base of the rock.

Oin and Rowan were making their rounds through the company patching up various injuries that the company has sustained. Rowan had just finished wrapping Ori's wrist, which upon her examination she had determined was sprained. The young dwarf thanked her before walking back to his brothers.

Rowan looked around to see who was next to be checked out. She spied Thorin sitting near by talking with Balin , his wounds still open.

Putting her Kit back in to her bag, she walked over to the Dwarf and stood in front of him. Hearing her approach, he turned from Balin to face her.

"As I told Oin I need no treatment. I am fine" he huffed, turning back to Balin he added "You may leave."

Rowan quirked an eyebrow and stood hands on hips looking at him. She paused a moment before reaching into her bag and pulled out a large bundle of Ace wrap.

"Hey Thorin catch" She called throwing the bundle at the dwarf's head.

Caught off guard by her, call he spun around just in time to catch the bundle, letting out a hiss of pain as he caught it.

"just as I thought" Rowan said "now take off that coat so I can get a better look"

Balin chuckled "shes got you there laddie, best let her work."

Thorin grumbled but eventually relented, shrugging off the thick coat.

...

"All done" Rowan said a while later,placing the last steri strip along a large cut on Thorin's forehead.

Though he had been skeptical of her skill as a healer, he found her strange practices to be efficient and effective. After she had examined his wounds she had dug in her bag, producing a small bottle of water and a small white container from which she shook out three tiny deep red circles which she dropped into his hand.

"I've been saving these for an emergency. swallow them with the water and you will feel a lot better."

Skeptically he had done so mumbling his doubts when after a few minuets he felt no effect. Much to his surprise however, soon after that the pain that wracked his body had begun to lessen and was now down to a small throb.

When she was finished Thorin examined the white bandages that now covered parts of his arm and sides.

"You have my thanks Rowan. I must say your skills though strange are most effective." He said looking over at the small brunette who was crouched near by packing her bag

Rowan looked up at him and grinned "Is this your way of saying I was right?"

Thorin sighed "perhaps some of my more severe injuries have benefited from treatment but it was noting that could have waited"

"your welcome Thorin. when the pain killers wear off come and tell me and I'll give you more" she said before turning to seek out her next patient

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...

Elira picked at the edge of the white bandage that was wound around her neck and chest covering the thin slash that ran from the side of her neck to the inner tip of her clavicle. Rowan had come straight over to her once they were on solid ground to make sure she was alright and then to thrash her out.

_*Flash back*_

_Elira took Biffer's out stretched hand as he helped her down the last step of the carrock. She smiled and thanked him before sitting down on a near by rock. She closed her eyes and took a few long deep breaths._

_she winced as the long cut on her neck was stinging as sweat began to run down her neck after climbing down the rock side._

_"Are you ok?" _

_Elira opened her eyes to see Rowan crouching down in front of her_

_"I'll be alright." she replied_

_"Bull shit" Rowan said scowling "go change into your under shirt so I can get a better look at that cut" _

_Elira was shaken a bit by her friends angry tone but obliged._

_Soon she was sitting back on the rock as Rowan cleaned out the gash. __there was a long tense silence between the two only the sounds of the near by dwarfs milling about could be heard. finally Elira spoke_

_"Are you alright?" She asked_

_Rowan stopped working and glared up at her "no Im not alright" she said, her voice laced with anger "What the hell were you thinking?!" she yelled "You could have been killed! You have no real fighting experience and yet you rush out into danger with out another thought!"_

_Elira flinched a bit at her words "What was I supposed to do, let them kill Thorin!?" she asked raising her voice a bit "Bilbo has no experience either but he still went!"_

_Rowan was on her feet now "No but you could have waited for me or the company! You and Bilbo are lucky to be alive!" _

_ Unknown to the pair, their shouts had now begun to draw the attention of the rest of the company near by._

_Elira got to her feet as well "Your treating me like a child! I can take care of my self, I don't need you to mother me all the time!"_

_Rowan looked at the ground and shook her head._

_"You don't know what it was like" She said , the anger in her voice now replaced with distress "to see you run into that field, to know there was nothing I could do. Your my sister in all but blood and the only family I have left...I...I cant lose you too. I wont." Her voice began to crack as she spoke._

_Elira stood there for a moment before throwing her arms around her best friend "I'm not going anywhere I promise. And now you know how I feel when you run off into danger. I know you have more experience than me but that doesn't mean your indestructible! your my family too."_

_Rowan laughed "ok how about this- I get to still be protective big sister if I promise to stop running off into danger unnecessarily?"_

_"I think that sounds just perfect" Elira said smiling_

_"Ok good. well lets finish patching you up"_

_.._

"Well look at you all bandaged up" Kili said walking over and sitting down next to her.

Elira stopped picking at the bandage and smiled

Kili looked at her more seriously now. he brushed him thumb along the bandages on her neck. "you had me worried back there"

She looked at him bracing for the same kind of talk Rowan had with her.

Kili noticed the look on her face and chuckled "Don't worry I'm not going to lecture you, I think Rowan already expressed it well enough. Just promise no more big risks ok?"

Elira nodded

"Thank you for saving my uncle" he continued "It was very brave. not many can say they have faced Azog the defiler and lived"

She smiled "well I'm just full of surprises I guess"

From off to the side she heard Rowan calling her to go to the stream "Oye- Eli You ready? I need to was this goblin crap off me!"

"It appears I'm being summoned" she kissed him briefly before grabbing her pack and trotting off after Rowan.

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After the rest the company began to discuss their next move.

"We must move away from here, the orcs will soon be upon us!" Thorin said looking around at the woods.

Gandalf stepped forward "There is a house... not far from here where we may find refuge"

Thorin turned to the Wizard "whose house is it friend or foe?"

the old wizard looked around the company "Neither" he said as a howl echoed through the forest "but it is our best option at this point"

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**A/N; _Hmmm I wonder whose house this is going to be?_**


	21. A long way for a break

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_**Disclaimer; I do not own the Hobbit or the PJ movies**_

_**Hello everyone! So just in time for the new trailer heres a new chapter! So were not spending very long at all at Beorn's house for now. I may go back later and add some stuff but for right now its only going to be a short stay. **_

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Elira Flinched as a bee buzzed past her ear. "Gandalf where are we going exactly?"

"you will see in just a moment my dear" the wizard said coming to a halt. He then turned to face the company "Now then a few things about our host; he lives a rather solitary life and is protective o his lands, but the main thing to know of him is that he is a skin changer- sometimes he is a great black haired man and others a large black bear. furthermore he is not overly fond of dwarfs. But he can be reasonable, and if we go about this in the right manor all will be well"

He paused of a moment before continuing "Now then we shall go in small groups When I whistle that will be the signal for the next group to approach the house. I Will go first with master Baggins then Rowan and Elira, followed by Thorin, then Balin and Dwalin, Fili and Kili next, then Ori Nori and Dori, Gloin and Oin, and finally Bifur Bombour and Bofur"

Elira waited beside Rowan as she watched Gandalf and Bilbo disappear into the scrub brush. They did not have to wait very long before a shrill whistle sounded. The two friends made their way along the same route Gandalf had taken and found themselves in a clearing in which sat a large cottage. various animals were milling about the area, some feeding or laying in the sun while others strode about the field.

"Ah here they are now" Gandalf said drawing their attention.

Elira fought to suppress a gasp as she saw the man next to Gandalf. He towered above Elira who barely came up to his waist. He had long dark hair and a dark beard. He regarded the girls with unmasked curiosity.

"This is Beorn our host"Gandalf said gesturing to the large man

Rowan bowed "Rowan Firebrand"

Elira bowed with her "Elira Leaflin"

"at your service" they said together politely

Beorn nodded "If I needed your service I shall ask for it" he responded in a deep voice

Gandalf picked up telling Beorn the story of the company's travels all the while continuing to signal the company to come.

Soon every one had reached the house ad were crowded around Gandalf, gaping at the house before them.

The large man paused to survey the company

"A fine story indeed" he said and with a wave of one massive arm, gestured them into the house.

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Rowan was still getting used to Beorn's animals. though she loved animals, the fact that these particular animals would pop up suddenly in random places around the massive house sporting trays and pitchers in their mouths or on their heads slightly unnerved her. By the second day she had grown more accustomed to their strange behavior and even went so far as to pet one of the goats that brought a pitcher of water to her

The goat bayed happily and trotted away from the table.

the company was settling in to breakfast, a few late risers still trickling to the table.

Beorn was absent from the table as he had been the night before. Gandalf had informed them that he was out wandering the outskirts of the forest looking for sings of the orcs.

When every one had seated them selves at the table Thorin announced that they would be leaving at first light the following day.

Rowan groaned inwardly. she was just getting used to the comforts and safety of Beorn's home

After breakfast the company scattered about the home. Thorin, Balin, and Gandalf poured over a map of the green wood, plotting the companies path. the rest of the company was out side at the make shift training ground they had set up. Bilbo, Ori, Bombour, and Dori sat on the out skirts of the sparing rings watching the matches.

Rowan darted back a few paces to the edge of the ring, shoulders heaving with each heavy breath. her sword felt heavy in her arms as she glared across the ring at Dwalin who stoop at the other end,wiping a small bit of sweat off his brow, watching her with a bemused smile.

"Oh come on lass I've trained you better than this" he said with a taunting grin "don't tell me your tired already"

"Me? never. I'm just going easy on you. don't want that ticker of yours to give out on you old man" Rowan replied in between breaths, a grin forming on her lips.

with a yell the two charged at each other, weapons at the ready.

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Elira stood in the opposite ring preparing for her match. she smiled as she heard Dwalin and Rowan taunt each other from across the ring. Elira was glad her friend had finally found a bit family here, the two of them butted heads like a couple of old women but it was clear to Elira that the old dwarf loved Rowan like his own child and in turn Rowan had come to view him as a father.

She was startled from her thoughts as a loud clang echoed from the ring behind her, telling her the two had begun to fight again.

Strapping on the last bit of leather amour she turned to face Bofur. So far she had managed to defeat Bilbo and Dori so the company had decided she was ready to fight more advanced opponents .

The floppy hatted dwarf smiled at her from the middle of the ring.

"Are you ready lass?" he asked twirling his curved ax leisurely as she entered the ring.

Elira nodded wrapping her fingers around her blades, taking her stance in the center as the dwarf continued twirling the ax languidly.

Bofur stopped his twirling "well then lets have a go shall we?"

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...

six to two. That was the number of times Bofur had disarmed her verses the number of times she had disarmed him.

Elira groaned as she found herself on the ground again. every muscle in her body was on fire.

"Alright lass I think that's enough for one day" Bofur said giving her a hand up "Chin up your making bounds of improvement there. Managing ta hold your own now. don't fret, skill comes with time"

Elira nodded. The dwarf was right she was improving but that didn't help to stop the ache that radiated through her body.

She walked over to a pile of logs where she has set her stuff, slinging her quiver and bow over her back.

Kili strolled over to her, a smile plastered on his face. "looks like we'll make a warrior out of you after all"

Elira grinned and hooked her arms around his neck "Well I do have a great teacher. Maybe you know him? Tall, dark haired.."

"You forgot ruggedly handsome" Kili said pulling her in to a kiss.

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First light came way too early for Rowan, who had come in from training the night before bathed and changed into her traveling cloths and immediately gone to bed. her muscles protested her every move as she stretched. suddenly she bolted up right

"Shit!" Rowan said. She had suddenly remembered something important- she had yet to pack her things for the journey. Rowan stumbled out of bed tugging on her boots and jacket frantically searching the room for her pack and possessions which were no where to be found. Her boot how ever, had managed to find a gap in the floor boards, which sent her sprawling onto the floor.

A small rap sounded on the large wooden door of her room before it slowly cracked open. Fili's head poked into the room.

"Rowan are you Ok? I heard..." he stopped mid sentence as his eyes found Rowan sprawled on the floor one boot on the other hanging half off, jacket up over her head. He laughed as he entered the room fully.

"You better not be laughing at me" Rowan said pushing the jacket off her head

Fili stooped in front of her and scooped her up off the floor and setting her on the bed.

"I would never dream of such a thing" he said still chuckling. He bent down and pulled her other boot on properly and deftly lacing it up.

"Thanks" Rowan said giving him a quick kiss "have you seen my bag? I'm beginning to think Kili took it as one of his pranks."

Fili grinned at her and with out a word left the room, returning seconds later with her bags in hand.

"you were so tired yesterday I figured you would probably forget to pack so I did it already."

Rowan stared at him for a moment before giving him a teary smile

He looked at her with concern"whats wrong?"

Rowan looked at the floor and shrugged "Its stupid"

Fili shook his head, he put his thumb under her chin tilting her head up to look at him "no its not. what is it mon annym"

she gave him a small smile "I'm used to being the one who looks out for everyone. I guess I'm just not used to having people look out for me."

Fili smiled and pulled her into a hug " I'll always be watching out for you"

"And I'll always be watching out for you" Rowan smiled back.

Just then a muffled shout sounded out side the door

"Kili lad I swear to Mahal if you don't tell me where you've hidden my drawers I'll ring ya my self!" Gloin's angry voice sounded down in the hall.

"And together we'll both keep and eye on Kili and Elira" Rowan laughed

Fili pinched the bridge of his nose."The work of an older sibling is never done"

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_A/N; so this was kind of a fluffyish filler chapter but next time were back on the quest! Thanks for reading!_


	22. a long way for nature

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**Disclaimer I don't own the Hobbit or P.J's movies**

_**Hello everyone! sorry for the long up date time but my internet got knocked out for the last few days. but as a make up I'm going to try to publish the next chapter in the next few days. also just a quick not If your going to leave criticisms about the story, please make them constructive. this is my first time writing and I know its not perfect but if there's something that you don't like, tell me instead of just leaving a negative comment.**_

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"You cant be serious" Rowan gaped at Gandalf as he remounted his horse " your leaving us? On the edge of the wood no less!"

The old wizard looked remorsefully at her " I would not go unless it was absolutely necessary"

Rowan waved him off with her hand "I know, I know. Important wizard things are afoot"

Gandalf gave her a smile before turning to the rest of the group "This is not the Greenwood of old. the very air is heavy with illusion, what ever may come stay on the path! Wait for me on the mountain pass. Do not enter that mountain with out me!" and with that he spurred his horse to the east "Stay on the path!" he yelled over his shoulder

"Alright lets move" Thorin called.

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the first few days in the forest passed well enough and yet Elira couldn't shake the feeling of fear that had crept up on her from the first moment they stepped into the forest. The forest felt sick, during the night she could feel eyes upon her- watching her as she tossed and turned. after a few days she began to feel sick, the lack of fresh air made her feel stifled. Elira had also begun to notice changes in the company as well, they were more irritable than usual even Bofur seemed to be less cherry than usual.

By the end of the second week they had begun to run out of food and water.

'S_urly it cant be much further to the other side'_ Elira thought as her stomach began to rumble

She gave a small squeak of surprise as Ori stopped short in front of her, causing her to bump into him.

"Whats wrong?" she asked looking around

"we've lost the path" Gloin shouted from up ahead

"Fan out! all of you. find the path" Thorin ordered

Elira was still looking around when she heard Bilbo call out

"Theres a light up ahead!"

Thorin pushed his way to the front of the small group that had gathered around Bilbo.

"I'll go inspect it first. if it is safe I will call for you"

They watched as Thorin edged his way towards the light, but just as he reached it, the light suddenly went out- plunging the company into darkness.

panic over took them as they called out blindly in the darkness. Once their eyes adjusted the company began to regroup. It was then they began to notice an absence.

"where is Thorin?" Balin asked

The company looked around them for any sign of their leader but the spot where thorin had occupied was now empty.

Desperately they began to call out, but their cries were met only with silence.

"what if somethings happened to him?" Kili said worriedly

Elira put a calming hand on his arm. "Thorin is strong. If something did take him I'd be more worried about what Thorin is going to do to it, rather than what its would do to him"

Kili cracked a grin, one of the first she'd seen since they entered the forest.

"We should keep looking for Thorin as a group" Dwalin said casting a shifty eye at the forest around them.

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They continued their search well into the morning but still came up empty. They gave a small sigh of relief as Dwalin called for them to take a rest.

Elira leaned back against one of the large trees and closed her eyes and before she even realized it she fell fast asleep.

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Rowan plopped down on the forest floor. her whole body was exhausted, the feeling of nausea was ever present the last few days due to a lack of food and sleep. the forest set her on edge. At night she could just barely make out eyes watching her from the forest, making sleep nearly impossible.

She looked around at the rest of the company. She could tell they were just as tired as she was. She cast a weary smile as Bilbo came to sit by her. she thought he would strike up a conversation with her, but instead he became distracted by something on the tree behind her. Rowan watched as the hobbit poked at the substance on the tree, her curiosity also peaked. It was a white meshy substance that extended from the tree to a close by log . Bilbo picked at the mesh causing it to reverberate. Rowan felt a sense of unease as she listened, the reverberation seemed to echo far off into the forest and up into the trees. Intrigued the hobbit picked at it again with the same result.

as she watched him attempt the act for a third time she spoke up "Bilbo I don't think that's such a good idea"

"Why? is something the matter?" he asked looking over at her

"I don't know...Its just..."

She stopped as a searing pain erupted from her neck and shoulder and then darkness enveloped the world around her.

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Elira was started out of her sleep by someone shouting. she sat up and slowly looked around. her ears twitched as she heard a hissing noise near by. she swung round to face the noise ans instantly wished she hadn't. A massive spider loomed before her, jaws twitching in excitement. she reached for her sword as pain shot up from her arm, then nothing.

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Rowan felt Adra shaking her awake. she groaned not wanting to be up so early, regretting agreeing to help him with the horses today.

"A bit longer" she slurred as the hand continued to shake her

"Adra I'm serious. I don't feel good" she whimpered, her neck felt like it was on fire and so did her shoulder.

"Rowan, lass please wake up"

Rowan frowned she did not remember Adra's voice being so deep.

Her nose twitched as something furry brushed up against it.

slowly she cracked open her eyes. panic consumed her as she took in the surroundings. she was not in her room but a forest. she could see the fur that had been brushing against her face. she followed it all the way up to the face of a large bearded man.

Se gave a quick scream of surprise before she began to struggle in the man's arms who then dropped her in surprise. Rowan tumbled to the ground looking wildly around her. There were more men around her. she backed away from them slowly unsure of what to do.

"Rowan are you ok?" one of them asked stepping towards her

She took a few more steps back until her back was pressed up against a tree

"Who are you people and where the hell am I!?"

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A/N; Dun Dun Dunhhhhhhhh!

so the ending was an Idea that came to me as I was writing. I'm not sure If I'm going to keep it in or not. let me know what you guys think. I may go back and tweak the chapter a bit once I map out the next chapter a bit more.


	23. a long way for spiders

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_**Hey guys so here it is- my way of saying thank you for being patient during my long update time. Also so as I was going through some of the earlier chapters and tweaking them I realized I never explained something- Elira's nickname that Rowan calls her -Eli, is pronounced like Ellie not Eli like the boys name.**_

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Elira groaned as the world slowly swam back into view. She gratefully accepted Biffer's outstretched hand as the older dwarf helped her to her feet.

"Thanks Biffer" she said with a weary smile

The dwarf merely grunted and smiled in response.

She then began the tedious process of picking the remaining bits of web out of her hair and clothing.

_'Its like trying to pull off melted marshmallows'_ she thought as she scraped off another long strand.

"Well now lass you look striking in white I must say" Bofur joked as he pulled a piece of web off of her coat.

Elira looked over him and grinned;the hatted dwarf was covered in webbing as well- sticking to his pig tails and caught in his scarf, though he didn't seem to be bothered by it.

All around Elira could see the last of the dwarfs being freed from their cocoons. It was an almost comical sight to watch as the still trapped dwarfs wriggled around in their sticky encasement's.

Elira was snapped out of her amused thoughts when she heard a surprised yell. She scurried over to the group that had formed near by and pushed her way past them to see what was going on. what she saw made her stop mid stride. Rowan was backed against a tree looking wildly frightened. Balin stood a few feet away from her, his arms out stretched placatingly, talking to her in a soft voice.

"What on earth is going on?" she gasped

Dwalin looked at her worriedly "I don't know... we couldn't get her to wake up, so I picked her up to move her a bit and then suddenly she snapped awake screamed and started thrashing about. when she finally got loose she didn't know who we were or where she was. Its like... she doesn't remember anything."

Elira ran over to Rowan who was now sitting on the ground shrinking back further into the tree away from Balin as he tried moving towards her.

"Rowan!" she yelled

The brunet's head turned at the sound of her friends voice.

Elira keeled in front of Rowan, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders.

"Rowan?... Rowan? are you ok? whats wrong?" Elira asked, her deep brown eyes filled with concern as she looked her friend over.

"Eli? Your her too?"

"Mmhmm" she nodded

"Where are we? who are these people?!" Rowan asked frantically, her face beginning to pale.

Elira looked at her friend. Rowan's skin was pale except for a small flush that had spread across her cheeks. Small beads of sweat were beginning to form on her brow.

"Its alright" Elira soothed "Were in the Greenwood forest. And as for these guys they're friends." she said gesturing to the dwarfs behind her

"Rowan do you remember how we got here?" she asked. A small frown fromed on her lips as Rowan shook her head.

Elira's frown deepened as the older girl's body tremored slightly.

"Oin! I need you" Elira called over her shoulder to the elderly healer.

Rowan looked apprehensively at the strange man who ambled over to stand next to Elira.

"Its ok hes a doctor. Hes just gona make sure everything's ok." Elira reassured her.

Oin knelt down next to Rowan and looked her over.

He pulled down on the collar of her tunic slightly and frowned

"It appears she was bitten twice by those blasted spiders. I suspect that is what is causing this amnesia."

"Is it permanent?" Dwalin asked

Oin shook his head "I cannot say for sure either way"

"Theres more spiders coming!" Bilbo shouted hopping down from a tree branch.

The company scrambled to their feet. Elira put one of her arms around Rowans waist and put Rowans arm around her neck, steadying her as they rose to their feet. Elira pulled out one of her swords with her free arm, gathering with the rest of the company in a tight circle.

The spiders hissed as they descended on the company jaws snapping. they were horribly out numbered, and most of them were still weak from the spiders venom. they would soon be over whelmed by the spiders.

suddenly a horn blast echoed trough the forest followed by a swarm of arrows which embedded themselves into the near by spiders.

Tall figures emerged from the trees slashing at the spiders with incredible speed.

Elira and the company looked on at the new comers as they finally dispatched the last spider. Elira's heart swelled wit relief. Her relief however was short lived as the strangers then turned their weapons on the company.

"Do not think I wont kill you dwarf" one of them sneered at Dwalin who had his ax still drawn

The strangers encircled the company. as the drew near Elira gasped- they were elves!

"search them!" the blond elf ordered.

one by one the company was pulled from the circle by an elf to be searched

A tall red headed elf approached Elira who was still supporting a now barely conscious Rowan. the read head's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the two women.

"Legolas, Q ea atta S tád firieth sí" ['_there are two women here'] _She called out

The bond elf came over and surveyed the two women.

"Your an elf?" he asked Elira

"err.. Half yes"

he seemed caught up in thought for a moment as he looked around at the company

"We will take them to my father" he ordered

Elira sagged suddenly as a unexpected weight suddenly pressed down on her shoulders. she looked over to at Rowan and was alarmed to see that she had fallen unconscious.

"you will come as well" Legolas said before turning to lead the procession of dwarfs and guards.

As the dwarfs started to move Elira heard Bofur whisper "wheres Bilbo?"

Elira's heart sank as she realized now Bilbo was missing as well.

"I shall take her for you" the red headed Elf said

gently she picked up Rowan in her arms.

"Thank you umm.."

"Tauriel"

"Thank you Tauriel"

...

...

...

They walked in silence all the way. Elira continuously looked over at the small form in the Elf's arms hoping to see some sign of her friend waking, but Rowan never stirred.

when they reached the hall Elira couldn't help but stare at the figure perched upon the throne. His long robes flowed around him as he glided down the throne steps.

"Hmmm it would appear that dwarfs are quite prevalent in my lands this day. tell me what business do you have in my realm?"

Balin stepped forward "we are but travelers passing through. but you speak as if we are not the first dwarfs you have found.. were there others?"

"Yes and I will give you the same deal I gave him... Tell me what you are doing in my lands or rot in a cell until you speak"

everyone stayed silent.

Thranduil sneered at them "very well. guards take them below" at that moment he noticed Elira and substantially Rowan still in Tauriel's arms. "except for those two"

At this the company erupted in shouts as they struggled against the guards. their protests growing fainter and fainter.

"Now then I will not have one of my kin stay in the prisons. you may stay in the guest quarters"

Elira gave him a polite smile "Thank you my lord but if it is alright I would like to remain with my companions"

Thranduil gave her a inquisitive look "very well but first Tauriel will show you to one of the rooms so you can get washed up and have a change of cloths."

"what about Rowan?" Elira asked "shes sick"

"Tauriel will take her to a healer as well"

...

.

After reluctantly leaving Rowan to be examined by the healer, Elira followed Tauriel to one of the wash rooms.

"Some one will be by soon to bring a change of cloths" she said with a small smile "I shall go check on your friend now"

With a nod she closed the door.

..

.

The dwarfs attention was drawn at the sound of the main door being opened and foot steps on the stone stairs that led down to the cells. Tauriel looked down at the still figure in her arms as she descended the stairs wondering when the young woman would awaken.

"Its Rowan!" one of dwarfs in the first cell pipped up as she passed the first cell. the dwarfs began craning against the bars of the cells to check on their companion.

As she passed one of the cells a large burly dwarf stepped up to the bars

"Wait" he called

Tauriel paused in front of his cell turning to look at him.

she watched as his face softened as he caught sight of the figure in her arms

"Is she alright? why has she not awoken?' he asked

"She will be fine. There is not much we can do for her, the spiders venom has no cure, she will have to fight it off on her own. She appears to be getting better- her color is returning."

Tauriel turned then and moved to the empty cell next to the dwarf ordering a guard to unlock it.

"Wait" the dwarf called again

She turned back to him

"She shouldn't be alone when she wakes up. She'll be confused and scared"

Tauriel stepped closer to him scrutinizing him

"And what is she to you?" she asked

"Shes my daughter" he replied

Tauriel studied him for a moment, she noted the silver bead hidden in his beard matched the small on that glinted in the girls hair.

the dwarf moved a bit closer

"Please" he whispered, his eyes never leaving the still form in her arms.

The red haired elf relented and called for the guard to open the dwarfs cell.

She was surprised when the dwarf made no move to escape, but merely stood against the wall to allow her to lay the girl on the bed

"Thank you" he grunted, but it held a note of sincerity.

Tauriel merely nodded and left the cell locking it behind her.


	24. A long way to remember

_**Disclaimer : I dont own the hobbit or P.J's movies**_

**Yay so I finally got around to making a cover picture for this fic. This chapter is a long one so I hope you enjoy!**

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Thorin sat brooding in his cell, glaring at the stone walls that surrounded him. His mind constantly swam with thoughts of the company. They were still out there, lost in the accursed forest. He felt his chest tighten at the thought of his nephews and friends starving in the woods.

"Get up Dwarf" the guard snapped at him as he approached the cell door, unlocking it. "The king wishes to speak with you"

begrudgingly Thorin followed the elf into the main hall of the Elvin king. He felt his anger surge at the sight of Thranduil. The elf king regarded Thorin with a smug look as he leisurely descended his throne.

"I would like to give you another chance Thorin Oakenshield, from one king to another. Tell me what you are doing in my lands and you may go free."

"As I told you before- Starving" Thorin replied, he held his head high meeting the elf's stare.

Thranduil's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he narrowed his eyes at the dwarf.

"These are my lands " he growled taking another step towards Thorin "you will tell me your purpose"

Thorin scoffed " I will tell you nothing, you may be king of these lands, but I trust you as much as I would trust an orc"

Thranduil bent down to look the dwarf in the eyes, a thinly veiled look of anger on his face.

Thorin met the gaze with a stony expression, his eyes blazing with contempt.

A crooked smile formed on the elf's face as he straightened back up. "Some might infer that a quest is at hand... to which I offer you my help."

Thorin looked pensive for a moment before his face contorted in anger "you think I would accept help from you? you who lacks all honor?!"

He stood with arms crossed over his chest, the stony expression back on his face. Anger burned deep in his chest as he watched the elf. he felt a small twinge of satisfaction as he watched the elf king recoil slightly at his outburst.

Thranduil quickly recovered his composure and sneered at the dwarf

"very well rot for all I care" he growled

The guards moved in to take Thorin away when a small voice echoed in the hall

"Thorin?"

...

..

Elira had finished with her bath just as another elf dropped off some fresh cloths for her.

Drying off she looked at the cloths folded on the vanity. there was a simple dark purple skirt that came to the middle of her shins, black leggings, and a grey hooded tunic. Her old boots had been cleaned and returned to her with the cloths.

Elira relished in the feeling of being clean as she combed through her hair. she was surprised at how ling her hair had gotten. when she had first arrived in middle earth her hair had only extended about and inch or two below her shoulders. Now it nearly reached the end of her shoulder blade.

A short knock rapped on the door and Tauriel entered.

"How is Rowan?" Elira asked anxiously

"She is fine Mellon" Tauriel said with a smile "She is resting now. I left her in the care of her kin."

Elira nodded "Thank you for all of your help"

"Of course. Do you still wish to stay with your companions?"

Elira nodded

The red headed elf sighed "Very well"

she ushered Elira out into the hall, the young half elf following along side of her.

The pair descended a flight of stairs that opened up into a large hall way. Elira looked around her taking in the architecture of the elvin city. It was much different from the marble of Rivendell- large branches composed the arches of the passage their vines twisting together in delicate patterns along the wall.

As they rounded a corner Elira's ears perked up at the sound of raised voice. As they walked further Tauriel slowed her pace obviously aware of the voices as well.

Elira strained to hear what was being said, but the voice had quieted down to a murmur. she and Tauriel had both stopped walking, the two stood in the quiet waiting to see if the voices would pick up again.

"We should continue on" Tauriel said waving her hand

Elira nodded.

Just as they had begun to walk again, a loud angry voice rang out, the shout clearly resounding in the hall where they stood.

Elira's eyes widened -she would know that voice anywhere. Without another thought she took off down the hall, sprinting towards the voice.

"Elira!" Tauriel called after her as the blond shot off down the hall.

Elira rushed out into a wide open room which she recognized as the throne room from earlier. She paused in the entry way struck with relief. There stood Thorin alive and well, though looking thoroughly angered.

"Thorin!" she said disbelievingly, her voice echoing around her.

...

.

Thorin turned at the sound of his name.

His heart soared, there just inside in the entry way stood Elira.

the young woman rushed forward pulling the would be king into a hug.

Thorin stood dumbfounded for a moment before returning the embrace. pulling away he held her at arms length and looked her over. she appeared thin and tired but otherwise unharmed.

"Elira are you alright? how did you get here ? where are the others?"

Elira gave him a small smile and shook her head "I'm fine Thorin. Everyone's alright now, we had a run in with the giant spiders that roam the forest during which Rowan was poisoned by their venom but the elves have taken her to a healer here. The elves found us shortly after the spiders and took us here, the others were taken below though to where exactly I cannot say."

"Thank Mahal" Thorin breathed

"Well this is surly an interesting turn. Thorin Oakenshield concerned for an elf? my..my.. Tell me Thorin what is this woman to you?"

Thorin bristled shielding Elira from Thranduil's gaze. "she is a member of my company... and the intended of my nephew"

the elvin kings eyebrows raised at this "Is what he say true?" he asked addressing Elira

Elira stepped along side Thorin "Indeed it is"

Thranduil's mouth upturned into a sneer "What a waste. you would have made a fine consort for Legolas"

He waved a hand lazily to the guards "take them below"

...

...

..

.

Fili watched anxiously as the redheaded elf carried the still unconscious Rowan down the stairs. After a brief exchange the elf opened the door of Dwalin's cell and laid her on the small bed . After the elves had departed Fili strained against the bars of his cell. "Dwalin.. Is she well?" he called.

After a moment Dwalin's voice rumbled back "Aye. She has still to wake though"

Fili Slammed his foot into the wall of his cell in frustration.

"Woah there Brother that was my back you just kicked" Kili chuckled from where he sat against the other side of the cell wall.

Fili slumped down against the wall resting his head on the cool surface.

"Take heart, Rowan will awaken Brother, she is a fighter that one" he heard Kili whisper from the other side of the wall.

"But what if she still has not regained her memory? what if she has forgotten me? forgotten us?" Fili said quietly, finally voicing the fear that had been growing in his heart.

On the other side of the wall Kili smiled sadly and shook his head "Then you will be patient and reforge the bond you share. Love can endure any circumstance and reach across any distance- for whatever our souls are made of dear brother, yours and hers are the same"

Fili smiled "Your beginning to steal my job little brother, I'm supposed to be the mature more philosophical one."

...

Rowan groaned as her head began to throb.

"Rowan lass? can you hear me?"

Her eyebrows knitted together trying to place the voice. slowly she opened her eyes. Through the haze of her vision, she could see a stone ceiling above her which confused her even more.

"Rowan?" the voice came again.

slowly she sat up a bit, pausing as a wave of nausea washed over her. She glanced around her, blinking rapidly to clear the haze from her eyes. Around her all she could see were more stone walls.

'_where am I?_'

...

Dwalin sat on the stone floor of the cell watching the small sleeping form on the bed for any signs of stirring .

"Any change laddie?" Balin asked again from the next cell

"not yet"

Dwalin sighed and rested his head against the wall. he could hear the quite voices of the company echoing softly in the cavern around him. He shut his eyes letting the noise filter in around him. A soft noise reached his ears- a small groan. He opened his eyes and jumped to his feet, looking over to the bed. His heart lept in his chest as Rowan stirred.

"Rowan lass? can you hear me?" he called softly.

He resisted to urge to stand next to the bed to check on her, not wanting a repeat of the last time. Rowan stirred more, another soft groan passing from her lips. Cautiously Dwalin inched closer.

slowly her eyes opened into little slits.

"Rowan?" he called again

slowly the young woman sat up. pausing for a moment, rubbing a hand along her neck.

He watched stanging on pins and needles as Rowan blinked slowly and looked around her.

"where am I?" he heard her murmur to her self, causing his heart to sink.

_she may never regain her memory at all_ Oin's voice rang in his mind

Rowan finally took notice of him, turning in the bed to face him.

"Rowan? he asked carefully

She blinked a few times trying to clear her vision.

The silence seemed to last for hours to Dwalin.

His heart sank further as Rowan regarded him with a confused expression.

"Dwalin?" She asked, her voice rough and tired sounding.

The older dwarf could have shouted with relief. He closed the short gap between them and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Dwalin where are we?" she asked her quiet voice muffled by the embrace.

breaking off the hug he looked down at her "whats the last thing you remember lass?"

Rowan frowned as she racked her brain. "We were lost in the forest, trying to find Thorin...umm... Bilbo he was fiddling with something on the tree..."

She paused and looked around her

"Where are the others?" she said suddenly trying to get up out of the bed, her voice beginning to fill with panic

Dwalin put a hand on her shoulder preventing her from getting up.

"They're all fine lass. you need to calm down, you have been unconscious for a while you cannot strain your self."

He handed her a small cup of water which she gratefully accepted. the liquid helping to soothe her dry scratchy throat.

Rowan relaxed back down into the bed as Dwalin quickly filled her in on what had transpired while she was unconscious.

just as he had finished Balin's voice called through the wall "Laddie?"

Dwalin grinned as he called out over his shoulder "shes awake Brother!"

"Thank Mahal" Balin breathed

Dwalin called out from behind the bars of his cell "yah hear me lads? the lass is awake"

the cavern erupted in cheers and shouts. one voice sounded above the rest

"Mister Dwalin... what of her memory?"

Dwalin looked up in the direction of the princes cell.

"She remembers everything before the spiders lad"

.

.

A/N; yay Rowan's got her memory back! we'll be leaving Mirkwood in the next chapter and then its back on the quest! I finally got to throw in some Thorin/ Elira moment too! I got the quotes about the souls from Emily Bronte and the other from a book that I cant remember.


	25. A long way for a water ride

_**Hey guys sorry for the long delay but Finals were going on so I didn't have a lot of spare time to write. But its over now and yay I passed all my classes! I've also had such bad writers block with this chapter so sorry if its not the best. But wow over 9,000 views! I cant tell you how excited I am! Also a big thank you to piatek for all your lovely comments!**_

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Elira stared anxiously ahead of her, eager to see the company again. Behind her, she could hear the rhythmic thump of Thorin's boots against the stone floor as they marched along the corridor flanked by Thranduil's guards.

The path turned steep and opened up into a wide set of stone stairs that spiraled down into an open cavern.

slowly her eyes adjusted to the light and she was finally able to take in the cavern around her. the walls were lined with iron bars covering cells cut deep into the rock, illuminated only by torches mounted on the walls.

As they neared the first cell Elira recognized the small figure sitting in it.

"Ori!" she called happily

The young dwarf jumped falling onto his back, startled by her shout.

"Miss Elira?" Ori asked tentatively rubbing the back of his head as he sat up.

He was met by the sight of the young blond half elf smiling down at him from the other side of the bars

"It is you!" he said rushing to the bars to meet her

"whats all the ruckus about" Oins voice echoed off the cavern walls

"Miss Eliras back" Ori called which was met by a chorus of cheers

"And Thorin too" Elira added looking at the dwarf who stood flanked by guards near by.

The cavern erupted in shouts and questions as Thorin was led into view followed by Elira. the guards opened an empty cell and shoved Thorin in with out a word.

Turning to Elira they motioned for her to step into the next cell, which she did with out protest.

"Thorin lad are you well?" Balin asked after the guards had left

"Aye I am"

"I don't mean to say you are not a welcome sight laddie but there goes our hope of getting out of here. We thought that maybe you had escaped the forests grasp"

A silence settled over the cavern as the realization that they were stuck there sank in

..

"were never going to reach the mountain are we" Ori asked after a while finally breaking the silence

"Not in here your not" a voice rang out

suddenly Bilbo appeared on the main row

"Bilbo!" Balin exclaimed rushing to the cell door

The hobbit smiled triumphantly and held up a large set of keys

...

...

Rowan scooped up the hobbit into a hug after he unlocked her cell

"Bilbo Baggins I have never been so happy to see someone in my whole life. Look at you lifting keys and hosting jail breaks"

"Well I am a burglar after all" he replied cheekily " now then follow me all of you"

The company quietly followed the hobbit through a maze of hallways until they found themselves in a large wine cellar.

"what are we doing here? your supposed to be leading us out not deeper in" Gloin rumbled looking warily around

"will you just listen to me for one moment" Bilbo said exasperatedly

"Do as he says" Thorin said sternly to them all "Go on master Baggins"

"Into the barrels all of you!' Bilbo said urgently motioning to a large stack of barrels

After a moments hesitation the company began to move towards the barrels and began slipping in.

As Rowan stepped over to get into a barrel, She felt a hand close around her wrist and pull her gently backwards.

she turned and looked up at Fili, her eye brow raised in question.

Fili shook his head " I just got you back mo annym, I'm not letting you go that easily" he said before he picked her up and put her into a barrel before sliding in himself.

After they were all in Bofur poked his head out "what now?" he asked

"Hold your breath" Bilbo answered as he pulled down on a lever.

Rowans stomach lurched as the floor gave way sending them free falling for a brief moment before plunging into the river below.

...

Elira sputtered as a wave of river water splashed over her, seconds later Bilbo bobbed to the surface. quickly she paddled over to him and helped him into her barrel as the river began to take them down stream.

Elira grimaced as she noticed a small hole in the barrel which was steadily letting in cold river water into their barrel. she paddled more hoping to reach the rivers end before their barrel was sunk.

After a while the current slowed to a halt near a small embankment and Elira and Bilbo paddled over to it just as the water in their barrel reached their waists.

once on the bank Elira tried to wring out her soaked cloths the best she could trying in vain to warm her self up. as she did she noticed two more barrels floating ashore- Ori and Kili who were struggling to disembark their vessels. Giggling she jogged over to help them.

"my hero" Kili grinned as she offered her hand to him

after her was free Kili pulled her into a brief kiss before helping Ori out of his barrel.

Kili's grin broadened as he looked further down the river bank

"Well it looks like someone had a cosy ride" he said loud enough to catch the attention of most of the company.

Elira followed his line of sight to further down the embankment where another barrel had floated ashore. she watched as Fili got out of the barrel then helped Rowan out, who blushed furiously when she saw most of the company staring at her and Fili.

Elira gave a short wolf whistle which caused Rowans blush to deepen

"very mature Eli" Rowan said as she and Fili joined them

Elira grinned back at her.

A shiver wracked her body as a breeze rustled by.

"Cold?" kili asked before draping his large coat around her shoulders

she nodded " was a leak in our barrel"

pulling the coat tighter around her she went to sit on a near by rock next to Ori. she pulled off one of her boots and turned it upside down to drain some of the water that accumulated in it.

As she did a shadow passed over her an Ori. Elira turned and gasped standing on the rocks above them was a tall man with a large bow pointed at her.

Suddenly Dwalin jumped in front of them a large stick in his hands, as he raised it the stranger shot it from his hands.

Kili ran up beside Elira pulling her behind him snatching a rock up off the ground in order to throw it at the man but before he could, it was shot from his grasp as well.

The man leveled his bow at Kili. "Do it again and your dead."


	26. A long way for a lake

_**HEy guys I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've had some computer problems in the last few weeks. Also its been pointed out that some of the chapters are duplicated so I'm doing my best to fix it. I finally say the battle of the five armies! I already have most of the ending mapped out so I'm gona re work it a bit with material form the movie too!**_

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The company froze at the sight of the stranger.

Elira peeked slowly around Kili to get another look at the man. He was tall and weathered looking with dark hair that fell to his collar. She studied the man for another moment before she felt movement from beside her. Elira was surprised to see Balin stepping towards the man, his hands raised peacefully.

"Your from laketown if I'm not mistaken" he said looking at a small barge floating near by.

the man lowered his bow a bit "I am"

"That barge over there ... it wouldn't perhaps be fore hire would it?"

The man lowered the bow completely and stared at the dwarf "and what makes you think I would help you?"

Elira held her breath, the barge man was their only way across the lake and if he refused they would be stranded.

Balin smiled a bit "those boots have seen better days as has that coat. No doubt some mouths to feed back home... how many if you dont mind me asking?"

"two girls and a boy"

"And I bet your wife shes a beauty"

The bowman recoiled a bit "she was"

Balin's face dropped "I'm sorry I..."

before he cold finish Dwalin stepped forward "enough of these pleasantries will you help us or no?"

He looked suspiciously at the company before answering "I know where those barrels came from. I don't know what business you had with the elves but it did not end well. The master of the lake does not take kindly to strangers, for this trip you would need a smuggler"

"for that we would pay double" Balin answered quickly.

...

...

.

Rowan slowly rose from her spot on the barge, careful not to wake Elira who was curled up asleep next to her. She headed to the bow of the boat where a slightly queasy looking Bilbo stood looking over the edge of the barge.

"Don't tell me hobbits are afraid of water" she grinned

"we are not overly fond of it" Bilbo replied casting one last weary look at the water before turning to her "you don't seem too bothered"

Rowan shrugged "I've always loved the water . we used to take trips to the coast a lot when i was growing up"

the barge took a sharp turn causing Bilbo to turn back over the rail of the barge looking more queasy than ever.

The poor hobbit groaned as he slumped over the rail "cheer up Bilbo its almost over" Rowan said reassuringly patting the hobbit on the shoulder

A deep chuckle sounded from beside them. turning they saw the barge man looking at them from where he stood, steering the boat languidly.

"you must forgive for staring me master hobbit, I have never met a halfling before, only heard stories, I must admit you have peaked my curiosity"

Bilbo waved him off "curiosity is not a sin my mother used to say"

"I'm Bilbo Baggins of the Shire" he said extending his hand to the man who shook it

"Bard"

"And this is Rowan" Bilbo said gesturing to Rowan beside him

Rowan extended her hand to bard who shook it gently

"strange for a human woman to be traveling with dwarfs" he said looking at Rowan

"well I'm not exactly human" she said with a shrug "half dwarf too. same with Elira over there- half elf"

Bards eyebrows shot up "strange indeed"

he looked pensive for a moment before leaning in close to Bilbo and Rowan, his face serious

"Lady Rowan if you travel with these dwarfs under duress I can help you- all three of you"

Rowan looked at him blankly for a moment as she worked out what he was saying.

finally she chuckled "Thank you for the concern Bard really, but I travel with them under no ones will but my own- same for Bilbo and Elira."

Bard's face softened and he nodded "why do you travel with such an odd jumble of companions if you dont mind me asking?"

Rowan paused before answering "Well short of it is- Elira I have known all my life, we met the dwarfs on our travels and decided to tag along with them to the Iron hills. And as for Bilbo here we picked him up along the way"

Bard nodded thoughtfully "I would very much like to here the long version some day"

...

.

Elira woke up to the mans voice calling out

"Into the barrels all of you"

She blinked at the order not awake enough to understand it. Rowan appeared by her side hauling her to her feel and steering her toward a barrel the two got into one and crouched inside.

"what do you think is happening" Elira asked

Rowan peered out through a small hole in the barrel

"Shit" she said stating to move around the barrel

"what is it?" Elira asked

Rowan did not answer but instead took off the blanket she had found on the barge wrapped around her shoulders and threw it over their heads

"What are you doing" Elira whispered

Before Rowan could answer something wet and heavy was dropped on the blanket

Elira clapped a hand over her mouth as a foul smell permeated the barrel

'Fish' Rowan mouthed to her

...

..

After a bit the two heard a rap on the side of the barrel signaling them to get out

They pushed the blanket and fish up and out the top of the barrel

All around them the rest of the company were getting out of their barrels, but by the look of them it did not appear they had any barrier between them and the fish.

Rowan hauled her self out first and Elira followed suit.

Elira gathered the blanket and walked up to bard who stood near by

"Sorry about your blanket" she said sheepishly

He waved a hand at her "I don't use it except for storage so think nothing of it"

Bard ushered the company off the boat and on to the dim streets

Elira looked around her, the whole town was atop the water, long plank ways extended out all over the place connecting houses and shops to the main town.

Bilbo stood next to her looking around the town as well

"What is this place" he murmured

"This Master Baggins" Thorin said coming up behind them "is the world of men"


	27. A long way to swim

**Disclaimer I dont own The Hobbit or P.J's movies.**

**Yay a day off of work! Finally got some time to finish the new chapter!**

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"This way all of you!" Bard called in a low voice, motioning to the company to follow him

slowly and cautiously Bard wove his way through the winding streets of Lake town with the company trailing close behind.

He held up a hand signaling the dwarfs to halt before disappearing around the corner for a moment

"Alright follow on" he whispered, reappearing around the corner

They crept along a side street that bordered the water sticking close to the sides of the buildings.

"Da!"

A young dark haired boy was running towards the company

Bard caught the boy around the shoulders as he skidded to a halt in front of the

"What is it Bain? is something wrong?" Bard asked his eyes looking worriedly over the boy

"our house is being watched"

Bard made a frustrated noise

"What do we do?" Bain asked

Bard paused for a moment looking around them. his eyes landed on a small piece of ice floating down the river

"I have an idea come on"

He led them a bit further down the way until they reached a deserted part of the plank way.

"Do you see that building?" Bard asked the company pointing to a small wood house further down the way.

The company nodded

"That is my home. now to get you there unseen we must use a another route. you will have to swim there and come up through the privy"

There was some muttering at the last part through out the company

"Do as he says" Thorin growled at them.

one by one the company jumped into the lake and disappeared in to the water

"Are you ready Bilbo?" Rowan asked when their turn came

Bilbo shook his head "I don't know how to swim"

Rowan took his hand in hers "Its ok I do, Just kick your feet when we get in and ill do the rest"

the hobbit nodded nervously

"See you on the other side" she grinned back at Elira before taking a deep breath and plunging in to the lake

The lake was much colder than she had expected and she nearly gasped at the cold that now surrounded her.

She looked over at Bilbo who looked at her with wide panicked eyes

she gave him a thumbs up as she began to swim towards the house towing the little hobbit next to her.

just as her lungs began to burn the outlet came in sight.

she let go of Bilbo's hand and pushed him up the hole waiting until he was out of sight to push her self up.

A hand came into view helping to pull her up.

"Thanks" she rasped

...

Elira stared at the frigid water, shivering at the thought of diving in.

She had yet to warm up from their previous water adventure and was not looking forward to another.

"Ready?" Ori asked her

She reluctantly nodded. the young dwarf offered her his hand which she gratefully took

"One..Two..Three!" she counted plunging into the water at three

The cold shot through her the moment she entered the water. Fighting the chill she swam forward along side Ori.

She could have screamed with relief as the hole came in sight.

Ori motioned her forward and she swam up towards the light taking a large gasping breath as she breached the surface.

"Here ya are lass"Dwalin said offering her a hand

after she had gotten out she turned around to help haul Ori up. Elira giggled at the sight of him, the poor little dwarfs bowl cut had fallen into his eyes in a soggy curtain.

"Da why are there dwarfs coming out of our toilet?" a woman's voice asked

"Will they bring us luck?" a little girls voice asked

Elira turned around and saw two girls leaning over the railing above them looking at the company

The first was probably only a few years younger than Elira while the second was probably about fourteen.

The little girl gasped when she saw Elira

"your an elf!" she exclaimed running up to Elira

"I've never seen an elf before" the little girl continued "Da has when they trade here but I've never been around for that! can I touch your ears?"

"Tilda!" the older said reproachfully

Elira laughed and waved her off "its fine." Turning back to the girl she smiled "of course you may"

Elira and the rest of the company followed the older girl up the stairs and into the house

once inside Elira crouched next to the girl, brushing a few stray hairs away from her ears.

The little girl slowly poked the pointed tip of her ear "does it hurt?" she asked

Elira shook her head

The little girl drew back with a wide smile on her face "I'm Tilda by the way"

"Elira" the blond replied

"Achoo!" Elira sneezed violently "Sorry" she apologized to Tilda " I think I'm coming down with something"

The young girl merely smiled and handed her a handkerchief

...

Rowan looked around the house. it was small but cosy, with various personal items strewn about giving it a well lived in feel.

Bard and his son re appeared with blankets and cloths in their hands.

when he had finished handing out the blankets He approached Rowan.

"I believe some of my daughters cloths will fit you and your friend" he said "Tilda, Sigrid. Would you please find miss Rowan and miss Elira some dry cloths?"

The two girls nodded. Tilda happily grabbed Elira's wrist and pulled her towards her room.

"Bard you don't have to.."

He held up a hand "If my daughters came into the place that you are in now, I would want someone to do the same for them"

Sigrid came up beside Rowan "lets see what we can find" she said leading her down the hall.

A few moments later Rowan and Elira sat on the beds in Sigrid and Tilda's room watching the two girls dig through their closet and dresser.

They had come to the conclusion that Rowan would Fit Sigrids cloths since they were the same height, but Elira posed a challenge. She was a bit too tall for Tilda's cloths but too short for Sigrid's.

Finally they were able to find some of Sigrids old cloths that would fit the young woman- a thick dark purple surcoat with a cream under skirt. Rowan wore a faded teal skirt and a light grey collared shirt with a vest over it

"much better" Sigrid said looking the two over

"Thank you for you help" Rowan said

"Of course. but I don't think we have been properly introduced. I am Sigrid and this is my sister Tilda" the older girl said

Rowan smiled "Well I'm Rowan and this is my friend Elira"

"Would you like help with your hair?" Sigrid asked them

The two nodded

"Oooh can I do yours?" Tilda asked Elira

Elira laughed "Of course"

...

As the four of them left the room raised voices carried down the hall.

When they entered the main room they saw the dwarfs arguing with Bain who had placed him self in front of the door

"what on earth is going on?" Elira asked

"Grab your things were leaving" Thorin growled before pushing Bain out of the way and storming out the door.

Elira cast an apologetic glance at Sigrid and Tilda.

"I'm sorry they can be a bit burly at times" she apologized before following the rest of the company.

...

..

"So what exactly are we doing here!?" Rowan asked in a harsh whisper ad she hauled her self through the window a the armory.

"The Barge man could not provide us with what we need so were finding our own way" kili said with a shrug handing a small pile of weapons to Rowan

"By breaking into the towns armory!?" she hissed

Kili merely shrugged again and went back to rooting around a chest of knifes.

...

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Elira stood next to Bilbo watching nervously as the dwarfs fanned out around the room.

She sniffled a bit and hugged her self. she could feel a cold brewing.

Next to her it looked like Bilbo was not fairing any better.

"Here ya go you two" Gloin said handing both of them a large pile of swords and knifes

Bilbo buckled under the weight a bit.

Elira looked down the stairs nervously praying the guards would not hear them.

Her prayers how ever were answered instead by a sneeze.

Bilbo sneezed not only startling Elira but himself as well. the poor hobbit was knocked off balance by the sneeze and buckled under the weight of the weapons sending him tumbling down the stairs.

Elira's eyes widened as she saw him begin to fall. Quickly she reached out attempting to grab Bilbo. As caught hold of the hobbit's waist coat, she was unable to stop her momentum, sending her tumbling after him.

The two of them landed at the bottom of the stairs with a crash.

They froze as they heard foot steps approaching from the other room and loud voices calling out to others.

...

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Rowan had turned just in time to see Elira disappear down the stairs. The older woman felt her stomach drop as she heard a loud crash followed by unfamiliar voices in the distance.

quickly she grabbed a sword from the pile just a Kili did and together they both raced down the stairs

At the bottom they froze- four guards had Elira and Bilbo at knife point.

"Well look at this not two but four thieves" one of the guards said

"Drop your weapons" another said pressing the knife a bit closer to Bilbo

Rowan and Kili exchanged looks before reluctantly dropping their swords.

"Go check up stairs" the guard ordered the other two

_"Oh no"_


	28. A long way for a party

**Hey guys! so in honor of my winter session classes starting monday, heres a long chapter for you guys.**

**Its gona get a bit intense at the end soon so hold on!**

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Elira tired to move back as far as she could from the blade at her throat. She could feel the mans breath on her neck as he ordered Rowan and kili to disarm. She watched as Kili and Rowan tosses their weapons to the ground clattering against the wood floor.

after a moment the guards voice could be heard from the stairs

"We have your cohorts, if ya want 'em in one piece throw your weapons aside a surrender"

From the corner of her eye, Elira could see more guards trickled into the room and up the stairs.

After a few tense moments the company emerged from the stairs flanked by guards

The guard removed the knife from Elira's throat and pushed her towards the rest of the company. Kili quickly pulled her away from the guard and into the safety of the group. He looked down at her worriedly.

"Are you alright?" he asked stroking her cheek with his thumb

She nodded her heart hammering in her chest.

"Move all of you!" the guard ordered leading the way out of the building and out into the darkened streets.

...

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Fili gripped Rowans hand tightly as they were forced out onto the street.

"I thought we agreed no more unnecessary running into danger" He whispered leaning towards her

"I promised that to Elira not you. 'sides Kili was with me."

"A lot of good that did you" He snorted

Rowan gripped his hand tighter as a guard came up along side of them

"What do you thinks going to happen?" she asked him worriedly letting the mask of calm she had been wearing slip.

Fili pulled her closer to him "I don't know,but whatever it is I'm not going to let anything happen to you"

...

They came to a stop in front of a large building which was more ornate and well kept than the other buildings in the town.

Elira looked about the large plank-way, A small crowd had begun to gather around them.

suddenly the doors of the building opened and a large greasy looking man stepped out followed by another man who slunk after him.

"what is the meaning of this" the man asked in a high voice

"we caught 'em stealing weapons sir" one of the guards replied

"Enemies of the state no doubt"

"mercenaries if there ever were sire" the other man replied

"Hold your tongue"

Elira was surprised to see Dwalin pushing his way forward

"This is no common criminal" he said motioning to Thorin "this is Thorin, son of Thrain, king under the mountain"

Thorin stepped forward and stood in front to the man "We are the dwarves of Erebor. We have come to reclaim our homeland."

the people around them began to murmur to one another as Thorin continued

"I remember this town in the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbor, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake. This was the center of all trade in the north! I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!"

The people around them erupted in cheers and Elira cracked a smile. She could see a light blazing in Thorins eyes as he spoke, one that she had not seen since they had seen the mountain on the carrock.

"Death! That is what you'll bring upon us!"

The crowd parted as Bard pushed his way forward to face Thorin

"Dragon fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all!"

Thorin glared at Bard before turning back to the people.

"You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this; if we succeed all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!"

The crowd cheered once more but Elira's smile had faded '_what if Bard is right?'_

"All of you! Listen to me, you must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm? And for what purpose?The blind ambition of a Mountain King, so driven by greed, he could not see beyond his own desire!"

The large man stepped forward "Now. Now. We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame. Let us not forget, that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast. Hm!"

"It's true, Sire. We all know the story. Arrow after arrow, he shot. Each one missing its mark." replied the other

Bard stalked forward till he was face to face with Thorin.

"You have no right. No right to enter that mountain."

Thorin narrowed his eyes at Bard "I have the only right."

Turning from bard he approached the two men stanging on the steps before him

"I speak to the Master of the men of the lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people? What say you?"

The other man stepped forward "why should we take your word for it eh? is there anyone who can vouch for you? Who here can vouch for your character?"

a silence settled over the crowd as Thorin's face fell.

"Me.. I'll vouch for him" Bilbo said stepping forward " I have traveled far with these dwarfs through great danger, and if Thorin Oakenshield.. gives his word.. then he will keep it."

The master eyed the hobbit unimpressed

"I Will as well" Elira said stepping forward standing beside Bilbo

"As will I" Rowan added stepping forward in stride.

"And just who are you hmm? women of unscrupulous trade?" The master said

Rowan opened her mouth ready to say what Elira guessed was probably a string of four letter words, but she stopped her.

"I am Elira Leaflin" she said striding forward a pace confidently, her head held high "Heir to the Lady Galadriel- Lady of Lothlorien"

the crowd murmured once more

Rowan stood tall beside Elira, "I am Rowan Firebrand, the last of the Firebrand clan and march warden of Lothlorien." Narrowing her eyes at the men she added "I would rethink your alleged professions of ours if I was you"

The madter cleared his throat awkwardly "Ah yes..er..Forgive my my ladies."

"we shall see" Elira replied derisively, causing Rowan to crack a small grin

"my my someones pulling off the whole princess thing quite well" she whispered to Elira when the master looked away from them

Elira grinned back "Yes well I don't take well to being called a woman of ill repute"

they turned their attention back to the master as he broke into a wide smile that made Elira's skin crawl

"And to you Thorin Oakenshield I say...welcome! Welcome and rise! Welcome, King Under the Mountain!"

...

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Rowan swatted at the hand shaking her awake

"nnnhhmm" she groaned

"you can't sleep all day lass" Balin said throwing open the curtains of her room.

Rowan groaned again not wanting to leave the first real bed she had had in master had put the company up in the affluent guest houses during their stay, sparing no expense on them.

"Come on lass you have to get ready for the feast" Balin said throwing open the last curtain "and you have to be civil"

"why do we have to go to this feast can't we just pack some for the road and go"

Balin shook his head "were on the masters term for now, we need him to aid us in order to continue to the mountain. Now come on lass there's lunch down stairs" he added before shutting the door behind him.

Rowan groaned one last time before rolling out of bed and going to the closet which had been filled with dresses for her. she selected the most comfortable one and trudged down stairs.

...

.

just as the sun had begun to set Rowan changed dresses into a more formal gown and joined the company in the foyer of the house. they were all dressed in nice cloths for the feast some looking more happy than others.

They then set out for the feast Thorin at the head of the group flanked by Balin and Dwalin, with Kili Elira Fili and Rowan behind them.

...

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The feast was was in full swing by the time Elira had finished eating. she watched people mingle about the great hall some while others danced along to the band.

she had just gotten up to go sit with Ori when she felt a tap on her shoulder. The tall ferret looking man from earlier was standing there a crooked smile on his face.

"I don't believe we've been introduced properly" he said " I am Alfred assistant to the master of lake town" he took her hand and kissed it.

Elira suppressed the urge to snatch her hand away and smiled politely.

"you look radiant this evening. when I saw you on that platform I thought a vision had come down from the heavens. would you care for a dance" he asked

Elira forced the polite smile back on her face "I'm sorry but i have already promised this dance to my intended" she said before pulling away and scurrying off to where Kili and Ori sat.

..

For the most of the evening after that, Elira had made a game of trying to evade Alfred's advances but she could feel his eyes on her at times making her skin crawl.

But as the night wore on she began to feel more relaxed as she danced with the company, each new partner teaching her new moves to go with the songs being played.

As the latest song finished she excused herself from Balin and went to the washroom disappearing down the hall.

...

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Rowan was enjoying herself at the feast. though she did not trust the master one bit, she could still enjoy one last night of fun before they set off to possibly face a dragon. but there was something keeping her on guard; the Masters ferret of an assistant Alfred. she could see him watching Elira occasionally out of the corner of her eye.

she pushed it to the back of her mind as Fili pulled her onto the dance floor

"I don't know the steps to his song" she said

"Thats ok mo annym I do. I'll show you the moves and I can lead" he said in low rumbling voice.

True to his word he patiently showed her the dance showing no sign of frustration at the many times she accidentally stepped on his foot.

The music slowed tempo and he pulled her closer towards him.

Se relaxed as he wrapped his arms around her.

he looked down at her with a soft expression and smiled

"I love you mo annym" he said

Rowan smiled back at him "I love you too mo Isimun "

...

"looks like someone is having a good time" Bilbo said sitting down next to Rowan

"you have no idea" Rowan murmured

"where did Fili go?" the hobbit asked searching the room for the blond brother

"He Thorin and Kili had to talk with the master" Rowan said taking a sip of wine.

"well then can I have this dance"Bilbo asked

"yes you may" Rowan said taking the hobbits arm

"so how are you faring Bilbo?" Rowan asked as they danced

"Oh alright, a bit of a cold thought"

"Seems you and Elira are in the same boat" she laughed

they danced for a while more, Rowan listened while Bilbo told her of life in the Shire and Rowan told her of her home.

as they finished the song Rowan saw Elira duck out into the small corridor. a frown formed on her lips as she caught another flurry of movement. she watched as Alfred slunk along the wall towards the corridor and disappeared into it.

"excuse me for a moment Bilbo, I have business with Alfred"Rowan muttered absentmindedly as she left the dance floor.

"Err. rowan where are you going..." he called after her to no avail

"Bilbo whats wrong?" Bofur asked as the hobbit wandered over to where he and Balin stood along the wall

"Its Rowan she left suddenly going to look for Alfred"

"Alfred that weasel of an assistant the master keeps?" Balin said with a frown

Bilbo nodded

"What is it?" Bofur asked

"I don't like the looks of that man, what ever business Rowan could have with him can't be good. I think we should check up on this 'business'"

the three nodded and set off in search of Rowan.

...

..

Alfred went room by room searching the corridor for the blond woman. just as he exited the fourth room he tried he was slammed against the wall.

Rowan glared at the man as she pushed him against the wall, pressing a steak knife she had pocketed from the feast against the mans neck.

"You have haunted my friend's steps for far too long" she growled pressing the blade flush against his neck.

"I..I.. don't know what your talking about" Alfred stammered innocently.

"Oh but I think you do" Rowan gritted out "and listen to me well, If I see you around her again, if you put one foot out of line- I will end your life that very moment. Do you understand?"

Alfred nodded vigorously, breathing a sigh of relief as Rowan relaxed her grip on the knife.

"But then again.." Rowan said maliciously as she brought the knife back to the man throat "Maybe I should save myself the trouble in the future and just end you now"

She pressed the knife against his throat even harder, the tip beginning to draw blood.

"You.. you wouldnt. the master would see you hanged for that" Alfred said with waning confidence.

Rowan grinned wickedly at him "Oh I don't think he would... you need to ask your self Alfred is your life really worth all that gold in that mountain to the Master? hmm? Because I think its not.. infact I think that I could slit your throat ear to ear and the Master would sit back and let me... Hell he'd probably hold you down while I did it if I asked"

she put a little more pressure on the knife, the horrible smile on her face unwavering.

Suddenly a door slammed from somewhere down in the hall, Cutting through the heavy quite that had settled around them. Rowan blinked a few times before refocusing on Alfred, her grin dissipating.

"But lucky for you I am feeling generous today, so run along ferrett... and don't let me ever catch sight of you again!" she growled

Alfred sprinted from the corridor the moment Rowan let up on the knife.

Rowan let the knife fall from her hands, watching as it clattered to the floor. She looked at her hands for a moment before walking dazedly back into the hall.

...

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Balin, Bofur, and Bilbo looked on in shock as Rowan put the knife back against the man's throat. Bilbo's heart clenched as he saw the malicious look on the young woman's face.

They all looked on in horror as they listed to their generally kind friend's cruel words.

A door slammed near by startling them. The trio watched as the cruelty dissipated from Rowan's face as she let up on the knife.

Balin let out a sigh of relief as he watched her drop the knife then slowly exit the hall. Before any of them could discuss what they had just witnessed they heard another door shut and Elira passed by the alcove they were hiding in.

"Lass..."Bofur started as he put a hand on her shoulder.

before he could finish he has pushed against the wall and a butter knife was pointed at his face.

"woah there Lass" Bofur said putting his hands up.

Elira's face softened

"Oh my goodness Bofur I'm so sorry!" she said putting the knife back into her dress pocket.

"what are the hostilities for Lass?" Balin asked

"Sorry, I thought you were that creep Alfred "Elira said shaking her head "I can't seem to give him the slip so I figured I'd be prepared"

Balin chuckled "two sides of the same coin Rowan and you are"

"What?" Elira asked

"Its nothing lass, lets get back to the party" he said gesturing them out of the alcove.

As Bofur Bilbo and Elira left to go to the hall, Balin lingered in the corridor for a moment worry etched on his weathered face. He couldn't quite be sure, but for a moment he thought he had seen Rowan eyes become tinged with gold as she held the knife to Alfred's throat.

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A/N: dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn


	29. A long way for I love you

**_Hey guys! so Ive gotten a few requests for some more Kili and Elira so I stayed up late last night to finish this chapter... Ive been trying to do this scene for a while but couldn't get it right but it finally came to me! l've been trying to do their relationship as more of the traditional slow burn romance and Rowan and Fili as a buddys who become more kind of romance. so let me know what you guys think! _**

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As Elira re- entered the main hall, she was met by Kili.

"THere you are" he said with a grin"we were wondering where you went off to"

He took her hand and pulled her towards the dance floor

"We've hardly had a chance to dance this whole evening" he said taking her hand in his while wrapping his other around her waist.

"Sorry I got lost trying to find the ladies room" she said as they began to move to the beat.

"you look wonderful tonight" he whispered as he leaned in closer to her kissing her on the cheek.

after a few dances the pair took a break, wandering over to a vacant set of chairs. Kili grabbed a set of glasses on the way and offered one to Elira as they sat down.

As she took a sip she stopped, barely managing to set the glass down before sneezing violently.

"Are you alright?" he asked setting his own glass down.

"I think I may have Bilbo's cold" Elira sniffled

"Well theres only one thing for it then" he decided pulling her to her feet "Time to get you home"

"Wait What about the party? Shouldn't we wait for the company?" Elira asked as they made their way through the crowd of people

"I don't think they'll really notice" Kili replied gesturing to a table off to the side where raucous laughter echoed from all around "It appears that a drinking contest is under way"

They made their way towards the table where most of the company had gathered.

Kili edged his way up to Thorin to inform him of their departure. Thorin seemed to be in a much brighter mood than normal, Elira noted as he greeted them both.

"Ah there you both are! come and join us."

Kili shook his head "Elira is feeling unwell, so we are returning to the house early"

"Oh come son lasss, I wanta know if you sust as good as your sisiter" Gloin shouted sounding a bit tipsy.

Elira paused for a moment "wait Rowan?"

"Aye shes holing her own she is" Bofur hollered back

Elira edged more to the table where Dwalin, Fili, Bofur, Gloin, Nori, Biffer, and Rowan sat around the table.

Nori flicked a copper coin at the table watching eagerly as it bounced into Biffer's cup. every one around the table cheered as the dwarf was handed another mug which he drained and set next to the small group of empty mugs beside him

"Oh jeeze" Elira said as she caught sight of her best friend at the far side of the table coin in hand

Rowan smiled broadly as she caught sight of Elira "Oye Elie! scome to wastch me win have ya?" she called before turning back to the game.

Kili came up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder "ready to go? or do you want to stay and watch?"

Elira shook her head "I've seen Rowans drinking prowess many times before"

They made their way out onto the street and took the short brisk walk back to the guest house.

once inside Elira went upstairs to change out of the formal gown and into a more simple and comfortable dress. When she came back down, she found Kili sitting in front of the freshly lit fire.

She sat down next to him folding her legs under her.

"here ya go nothing better for a cold tan a fresh cup of tea" Kili said when she sat down, handing her the warm cup.

"thank you" she smiled, feeling the warmth radiate through her body as she took a sip.

She caught sight of something blue in his hand as she had sat down.

"What is that?" she asked gesturing to his hand

He brought his hand up so she could see. resting in his palm was a smooth blue stone

"Its a rune stone. My mother gave me it to me so I'd remember my promise."

"What promise?" she asked looking at the runes carved into the smooth surface

"That I would come back to her. She worries. She thinks I'm reckless."

Elira laughed "I can't imagine why she would think that"

As she laughed she felt him take her hand, she looked at him and felt something being pressed him to her hand. When she looked down she saw the stone resting in her palm

"I want you to have this" he said closing her fingers around it

"Kili I can't.." she began

Kili shook his head "Its a promise from me to you, that no matter what may come I will always be there for you" he said pushing her hand gently towards her.

Elira looked at the stone in her hand, running her fingers over the carvings.

"I love you Elira, from the first moment I met you I knew you were the one." he said earnestly cupping her cheek with his hand.

"I love you too" she said with a teary smile

"Moon of my life" he whispered as he kissed her, only the sound of the fire crackling breaking the silence of the house.

after a long moment Elira pulled away turning her head as she let out a small sneeze.

"well I think its high time you got some rest" he chuckled scooping her up and trodding up the stairs pausing only to opened the door of her room, before setting her on the bed.

Elira gave him a brief kiss before lying back down in the bed. Just as she shut her eyes she heard the door creak shut.

..

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A bit later Elira woke to the sound of her door opening "Kili?" she asked sitting up in the bed

To her surprise it was not Kili but Rowan who stood just in the doorway.

"Eli? swha arr you doin inmy rooms?" Rowan slurred

Elira sighed "Well The fact that this is my room may have something to do with it."

"come on lets get ya into bed." she said helping Rowan out of her gown and into some night cloths.

"jus like ol' timess" Rowan laughed tiredly as Elira directed her to the bed then climbed in next to her.

"hmmmm" Elira hummed as she smiled.


	30. A long way for a dress

_**Hey guys so heres a short chapter to tide over. I should get the next chapter edited probably some time this weekend.**_

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Elira rolled over and yawned, stretching as she got out of bed. She washed and dressed before looking back to the bed at Rowan who was sprawled out on the bed still fast asleep.

"Hey are you awake" she asked poking Rowan.

Rowan simply groaned in response

Elira shrugged

"You have no one to blame but yourself. Come on a walk will do you good" she said as finished dressing.

"you can't just lie about all day" she continued turning back to Rowan.

She grinned as Rowan gave her the finger before pulling the covers over her head. Elira laughed responding in kind before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

slowly she tipped toed down the hall. judging by the chorus of snores she guessed that the rest of the company was still asleep.

She winced as the stairs creaked under foot as she slowly made her way down into the main room.

A she passed through the common room, she squeaked in surprise as she nearly tripped over Bofur who was passed out on the carpet next to the fire place.

keeping an eye out for any more stray dwarfs, she finally made it to the kitchen.

"Oh good morning Miss Elira"

Elira jumped startled, turning to see Bilbo sitting at one of the tables.

"Goodness Bilbo you just gave me a heart attack"

"Sorry" Bilbo said sheepishly

Elira waved him off "its fine." she said sitting down at the table with him.

"so what has you up at this hour?" she asked him helping her self to some of the food set out.

Bilbo shrugged "went to bed early I guess. Though I don't see everyone else rising for quite some time"

Elira laughed quietly "I do believe you are since you're up would you like to Help me run an errand?"

Bilbo smiled at her "certainly"

..

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Bard had just finished clearing away the morning dishes when he heard a soft knock at the door.

"Good morning Bard"

The bargeman looked out in surprise at the sight of the elf and hobbit standing on the door step.

"Lady Elira master Baggins. What can I do for you" He asked gesturing them into the house

"I came to return the dresses Rowan and I borrowed." Elira said handing him a small wrapped package.

"Theres also some other things in there" Elira continued as Bard opened the package

"The master he gave Rowan and I alot of dresses for our journey but most of them are not really suited for travel so we thought you might know of someone who would like them" she said looking at Sigrid and Tilda who had come into the room.

The younger girl's eyes lit up as she saw the dresses Bard pulled out of the package

"Are they really for us?' she aske Elira who smiled and nodded.

"Theres also some spare coats in there for you and Bain" Bilbo added turning back to Bard

"Thank you" Bard said smiling down at the pair.

"Its the least we could do" Elira smiled "but we have to get back soon. the others should be waking up in a bit"

"I'll walk you back" Bard offered.

..

"I'm sorry about what happened at the town square" Elira said looking up at Bard as they walked "I know you're just trying to keep your family safe."

Bard stopped walking for a moment "If you enter that mountain you are signing the death of everyone in this town."

Elira shook her head "Im sorry Bard, I really am but I wont stop them. It is their home and I cannot take that away from them"

Bard sighed " I cannot say I agree with you but I will not push you on it."

They stopped just outside of the guest house as Bard turned to face them "But I will give both of you this warning; No good will come of this venture. Dwarfs can be easily blinded by their greed, consumed by it. It makes their hearts turn into something you no longer recognize. Be careful both of you. You dont know what you are walking into. I wish you the best of luck."

with that he turned and walked off.

...

..

.

Rowan eyed the boat warily as it rocked slightly on the water.

"what's wrong lass?" Balin asked

"I'm tired of water at this point in our journey" she sighed as she stepped on the boat and sat down next to Elira.

The band played loudly as the boats pushed off the dock followed by a mass of cheers and shouts.

slowly the noise faded in to the distance as they sailed further and further down the river.

Rowan watched as the mountain loomed closer and closer

"Do you really think theres a gigantic fire breathing dragon in there?" Rowan asked looking over at Elira

Elira shrugged "I don't know lets hope for a no"

Rowan grinned half heartedly "still not a bad way to go though. dragon and all that"

Elira smiled back " All I know is if there is a dragon in there, we're going to need all the luck in the world"

.

_A/N; so kind of a filler chapter here but in the next one we'll finally get to the mountain !_


	31. A long way for burglary

_**Hey guys so I know this chapter is late but as an apology i decided to just make the next chapter and combined it with this chapter so this one will be a nice long one!**_

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Rowan kicked a small stone an watched as it plunked down the side of the over look, echoing as it fell. Slowly made her way closer to the edge.

Below she could see barren hard scrap earth surrounding the shell of a run down set of houses and buildings.

"What is this?" Bilbo asked looking over the edge at the burnt out city

"That lad was once the city of Dale... It is the desolation of Smaug"

.

.

"Fan out all of you. the entrance to the hidden door should be around this area" Thorin called to the company after they descended into the valley

The company scattered about, eyes straining to find any clue or hint of the door.

"Over here" Bilbo's voice rang out

Rowan scrambled over to where Bilbo stood.

"Up there" he said pointing up.

Rowan followed his line of sight up and saw a small zig-zaging staircase carved into one of the large statues.

"You have keen eyed master Baggins" Thorin said clapping him on the shoulder.

"Lets get moving"

..

Rowan was out of breath by the time they reached the top of the staircase. Puffing she sat down on a rock, watching as Thorin ran excitedly to the rock face of the platform.

"Let those who doubted us rue this day!" He shouted as the company cheered

Rowan smiled as Elira sat down next to her.

"I can't believe we made it" Elira puffed.

Rowan laughed "I can't believe it either."

They both watched anxiously as Dwalin and Thorin felt along the wall for the keyhole

"where is it" Dwalin muttered as he continued to to search

"The last light of Durins day... will shine upon the keyhole" Thorin Breathed

Rowan watched as the sun began to set

"Hurry we're losing the light" Thorin called urgently

Nori and Dwalin searched frantically, as the sun began to disappear behind the ridge

"Break it down!" Thorin yelled

The sound of their weapons pounding against the stone echoed around them.

"Its no use the door is sealed. There is a powerful magic on it.. there is no more to be done"

the company slowly shuffled after Balin back towards the staircase.

"Come on Eli" Rowan mumbled nudging Elira as she stood.

Slowly she made her way over to the company, falling in line next to Dwalin.

"Im sorry" she said quietly

"Im sorry too lass" he said putting an arm around her shoulders .

..

.

Elira watched as Rowan walked back to the company. She paused for a moment watching as the moon began to rise over the hills, before standing.

"Bilbo?" she called softly to the hobbit who still stood transfixed looking at the rock face.

"Come on Bilbo" she said before walking off towards the stairs.

She had only gotten a few steps before she heard a strangled laugh.

"Bilbo?" she called as she turned back to look at the hobbit who was waving his arms excitedly

"th..the keyhole!" he stammered

Elira gasped as she saw the small keyhole illuminated in the pale moon light.

"Wait come back!" Bilbo called rushing to the edge "Its the light of the moon! the last moon of autumn!"

"Bilbo wheres the key!?" ELira shouted hurriedly turning away from the keyhole.

The hobbit's eyes widened as they both began to frantically search.

A glimmer of silver on the ground near Bilbo caught Eliras eye. "No Bilbo don't..." she shouted as the unwitting hobbit stepped forward kicking the key as he moved.

They both watched in horror as the key bounced along the ridge and off the ledge.

Elira's heart stopped as a boot stopped it at the last minute.

Thorin looked at the pair for a moment before stooping down to retrieve the key.

The company gathered around as he turned the key. there was a soft click and the stone began to move as Thorin pushed the door open.

the stone swung backwards, revealing a small dark passageway.

Slowly Thorin entered the passageway followed by Balin.

Elira smiled as Kili took her hand as they entered. Elira ran her fingers along the cold stone walls of the passage as they entered.

"We made it" he whispered squeezing her hand as they looked around the passage

"Here in lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's folk. May the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defense of this home." GLoin read aloud from the markings on the the carving over the door.

"The throne of the king." Balin breathed

"And what's that above it?" Bilbo asked pointing to the carving

"The Arkenstone."

Bilbo looked at the carving again "The Arkenstone. And what's that?"

"That, Master Burglar, is why you are here." Thorin answered

..

.

Bilbo, Balin, and Elira carefully made their way down further into the passage. Though most of the company had been against her coming with the two she had stood firm in her decision.

_...Flash back..._

_"Absolutely not" Kili and Rowan said nearly in unison._

_"Well its not your decision now is it" Elira said crossing her arms over her chest "the fact remains that if there is a live dragon down there my senses will be able to pick it up long before yours. I won't go all the way in, just enough that if I pick up on something I can alert Bilbo"_

_"I have to agree with the lass here" Balin said nodding his head " if the beast lives shes our best hope of knowing before its too late"_

_.._

_._

"so I have to find a jewel?" bilbo asked as they neared the end of the passage

"A large white jewel, yes"

"That...that's it? Only I imagine there's quite a few down there." Bilbo said incredulously

"There is only one Arkenstone. And you'll know it when you see it."

"Right."

Balin nodded to them both turning to leave. He paused for a moment before turning back to them.

"In truth, lad. I do not know what you will find down there...Either of you. You needn't go if you don't want to. There's no dishonor in turning back."

"No. Balin, I promised I would do this. And I think I must try." Bilbo replied shaking his head

Elira smiled "same for me as well. Only I can do this, and so I will."

Balin chuckled

"It never ceases to amaze me."

"What's that?" Bilbo asked

"The courage of hobbits, and now the loyalty an elf Go now, with as much luck as you can muster."

The two nodded and turned back to the passage way

"Oh, and, Bilbo."

Bilbo turned back "Mm?"

"If there is in fact a um...a live dragon down there...don't waken it."

..

.

Elira sat cross legged at the opening of the passage, her eyes shut straining to hear or feel anything out of the ordinary.

It had been a while since Bilbo had left. They had both agreed that she should stay in the passage opening incase the dragon could smell her, so there she sat as still as possible waiting as the minutes ticked by.

suddenly in the quiet she heard something, her ears twitched as she strained to hear more. _"Coins moving"_ she thought. "_Perhaps Bilbo tripped"_

She waited for a moment before taking a step out of the passageway trying to hear better.

for a moment she heard nothing more until s faint noise broke the silence, making Elira's Blood run cold.

Breathing. Too loud to be Bilbo's.

"Oh no" she breathed before dashing off into the chamber to find Bilbo

There was a loud crashing sound as coins and jewels erupted from the piles, shooting out around the chamber.

Elira pulled her arms over her head wincing as the hard stones and coins struck her, knocking her off balance and onto the ground.

She lay there for a moment whimpering as she tried to move.

"Bilbo" she murmured as she slowly sat up

"Well, thief..." a loud thundering voice rumbled through the chamber

Elira froze as a large shadow passed near by

"I smell you. I hear your breath. I feel your air. Where are you? Where are you?!"

Ignoring the pain, Elira quickly scrambled behind the staircase next to the passageway

"Come, now. Don't be shy. Step into the light."

Elira could feel her heart hammering in her chest "_If the dragon knows I'm here then it must have already found Bilbo as well"_

"Mm. There is something about you. Something you carry. Something made of gold. But far more...precious."

Elira frowned, shrinking back as the shadow passed by again.

"There you are, thief in the shadows."

Her heart stopped- the dragon had found her.

"I did not come to steal from you, oh Smaug, the inaccessibly wealthy. I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence. To see if you really were as great as the old tales say. I did not believe them."

Elira gasped as she heard Bilbo's voice echo in the cavern.

"And do you now?"

"Truly. The tales and songs fall utterly short of your enormity, oh Smaug, the stupendous."

Elira couldn't believe it Bildo was speaking to the dragon

"Do you think flattery will keep you alive?"

"No. No."

"No indeed. You seem familiar with my name. But I don't remember smelling your kind before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?"

"I...I come from under the hill." Bilbo began warily "And under hills and over hills my path has led. And...and through the air, I am he who walks unseen."

Slowly ELira peeked from around the stairs. Bilbo was standing in front of a massive dragon. She watched the dragon transfixed. Even though she knew dragons were real here, it did not sink in as truth until now.

"Impressive, what else do you claim to be?"

"I am...luck...luck wearer, riddle...riddle maker."

"Lovely titles. Go on." the dragon hummed

"Barrel rider."

"Barrels? Now that is interesting. And what about your little dwarf friends? Where are they hiding?"

ELira and Bilbo both froze

"Dw...dwarves? No. No, no. No dwarves here. You've got that all wrong."

"Oh, I don't think so, barrel rider humans and elf as well if I'm not mistaken. How interesting. They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside."

"Truly, you are mistaken, oh Smaug, chiefest and greatest of calamities."

"You have nice manners for a thief and a liar. I know the smell and taste of Dwarf." Elira watched as smaug sniffed the air " No one better. It is the gold, they are drawn to treasure like flies to dead flesh. the smell of Elf and man is close by... perhaps you brought a friend down with you."

..

.

Rowan sat anxiously near the door waiting for Elira to return.

suddenly the mountain began to shake

"What was that!" Ori asked

"That my lad was a dragon"

"A dragon you mean the dragon is awake? We need to get down there and get them out of there!" Rowan shouted

"Give them more time." Thorin said waving her off

"Time to do what? To be killed?" Balin snapped coming to stand along side of Rowan

"Uncle you can't be serious if that dragon is awake they'll have no protection. We must go and help them!"

Thorin narrowed his eyes at Balin "You're afraid."

"Yes, I'm afraid. I fear for you. A sickness lies upon that treasure horde. A sickness which drove your grandfather mad."

Thorin looked affronted "I am not my grandfather."

"You're not yourself. The Thorin I know would not hesitate to go in there." Balin replied shaking his head

"I will not risk this quest for the life of one burglar and an elf"

Rowan stood up along side kili, her eyes blazing with anger

"Rowan don't" Fili said putting a hand on her shoulder pulling her back as Dwalin held Kili back.

"Bilbo and Elira those are their names... you knew that once" Balin said sadly

...

.

Elira ducked back behind the stairs as the dragon turned towards her, and hugged her knees to her chest.

"It's Oakenshield. That filthy dwarvish usurper. He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, didn't he?" Smaug rumbled turning back to Bilbo

"No! No, no, no. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't bother denying it. I guessed his foul purpose some time ago. But it matters not. Oakenshield's quest will fail. A darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land."

Elira gasped at the dragons words- they were the same as the warning her grandmother had told her in Rivendell.

_"how does he know of the rising darkness?"_

"You are being used, thief in the shadows. You were only ever a means to an end. The coward Oakenshield has weighed the value of your life and found it worth nothing."

"No. No, you're lying." Bilbo protested

"What did he promise you? A share of the treasure? As if it was his to give. I will not part with a single coin. Not one piece of it!" Smaug roared.

Elira risked another peak watching as the dragon thrashed about

"My teeth are swords, my claws are spears. My wings are a hurricane!"

Elira watched as the dragon reared up. as it did Elira could see a small niche in the dragons scales where one was missing

"So it is true. The Black Arrow found its mark." She heard Bilbo murmur

"What did you say?" the dragon thundered

"I-I was just saying, your reputation precedes you, oh Smaug, the tyrannical. Truly, you have no equal on this earth." Bilbo recovered

From where she watched Elira could see Bilbo inching towards a small glimmering jewel

"the arkenstone" she breathed

The dragon noticed too "I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer. Watch it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad. But... I think not, I think our little game ends here. You think you can deceive me, barrel rider? You have come from Lake-town. This is some sordid scheme hatched between these filthy dwarves and those miserable trading lakemen. Those sniveling cowards with their long bows and black arrows. Perhaps it is time I paid them a visit. So tell me, thief. How do you choose to die?"

"Bilbo!" Elira yelled jumping from her hiding spot "Run!"

The hobbit sprinted to her as the dragon roared after them. the passageway became bathed in light as they ran, they could feel the heat of the flames chasing after them.

Finally they could see the pale light of the secret door. as they stumbled through it they could see the company looking at them with relief and concern.

before anyone could speak a thundering voice rose from the mountain "Revenge! I will have revenge!"

"Hide now all of you!" Elira shouted, scrambling the company just as a large shadow passed over them.

They all watched in horror as the dragon soared off towards lake town.

"What have we done"

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.A/N; so I decided to do a mash up of book and movie here at the end. im trying to keep a nice balance between the two. But were on the Third movie now! let me know what you guys think!


	32. A long way to peace

_**Hey Guys I finally got a day off to finish this next chapter! Were so close to the end I cant believe it! So I have a question for you guys; Would you guys be interested in reading a sort few chapter sequel to this story if I write one? **_

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No one spoke at first, the realization of what they had done creeping slowly into their hearts.

"W...we've just killed them...all of them they're going to die... because of us.." Rowan murmured sinking slowly to the ground her eyes never leaving the horizon. "Bard... Sigrid...Tilda.. Bain..." she whispered looking at her hands "we did this..."

Elira sobbed, burying her face into Kili's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering to her in a calming voice.

In the distance the sky glowed orange.

"poor souls" Balin said mournfully

...

..

.

While Balin Thorin and Dwalin kept watch for the dragons return, the rest of the company settled into an uneasy sleep.

Fili opened his eyes when he felt someone lay down next to him. He smiled softly as Rowan curled up next to him.

He pulled her closer, her face resting against his chest. He looked down at her sadly, noting her red rimmed eyes.

He moved his thumb in slow calming circles along her back.

"Its alright" he whispered

He smiled down at her as he felt her breathing slow and her body relax as she fell asleep.

"It will be alright" he whispered to him self

...

.

ELira twitched and swatted at the hand shaking her softly.

Slowly she opened er eyes to see Kili peering down at her.

"What is it?" she asked as he puled her to her feet.

"The ravens.. they've some back"

They joined the rest f the company who were all standing along the ledge watching as four large black birds flew towards them.

As they neared, one of them broke off from the rest ans swooped down to land on a near by rock.

The company all turned to face it. The bird studied them for a moment, hopping back and for the on the rock before turning to Thorin.

"O Thorin son of Thrain, and company" he spoke in a high croaking voice

Elira looked at the bird dumbfounded. She turned to look at Rowan but was surprise to see her just raise an eyebrow the the bird.

"Doesn't this surprise you at all?" she whispered

Rowan looked over at her and shrugged "Its not the first talking bird I've met since we got here... I'll tell ya about it later" she promised turning back to the raven

"I am Roac son of Carc. I am the chief of the great ravens of the Mountain. We are few, but we remember still the king that was of old. Most of my people are abroad, for there are great tidings in the South - some are tidings of joy to you, and some you will not think so good." It continued

"and what would they be" Thorin asked anxiously

"The dragon Smaug is dead!"

There was a moments pause before the company erupted in cheers.

Elira Pulled Rowan into a hug as she cheered.

"How did he die?" Thorin asked

"Bard descendant of Girion. It is he who killed the beast with the last of the black arrows"

"Bards alive!?" Elira asked excitedly

"Indeed he lives" the raven replied

Elira felt Rowan let out a sigh of relief

"The mountain is ours!" Thorin shouted causing the company to cheer once more.

Elira smiled up at Rowan "We did it... we actually did it"

She laughed "lord knows how"

...

.

Just as the sun rose the company entered the mountain. Rowan looked around her in amazement as they made their way to to main hall.

The first was spent beginning to clear out debris from the hall and rebuilding the gate.

But on the morning of the second day, Elira had begun to notice a change in Thorin.

The evening of the first day was the first time he had disappeared. He did not turn up until the next morning. When he did return he looked tired, there were dark circles beginning to form under his eyes.

He ordered the company to halt the restoration and to resume what Bilbo had started- to look for the Arkenstone.

The rest of the day was spent shifting through the enormous treasure room which she and Bilbo had been in before.

As the day wore on she began to sense a change in the dwarfs she could occasionally see and odd look in their eyes, some more than others.

she thought back to what bard had told her in lake town '_dwarfs can be easily blinded by their greed, consumed by it. It makes their hearts turn into something you no longer recognize'_

_._

_._

By the fourth day Thorin had grown secretive and agitated. Once he learned that the survivors of lake town had moved to Dale he ordered the gate to be reinforced and sealed. Elira rarely saw Kili anymore, He his and his brother along with Balin and Dwalin spent most of their day trying to pull Thorin out of his own mind.

Elira had decided to explore on her own for a bit while Rowan was napping. Grabbing a torch as she slipped out of the treasure room and into the main hall. She ran her fingers along the carved walls as she walked, looking around her at the tall ceilings and numerous pathways.

"Its not safe to wander alone, you could get lost."

Elira jumped at the voice and saw Kili stanging in the entry way of the hall smiling at her.

She stood there for a moment before finally asking what had been nagging her for the last few days.

"Whats wrong with Thorin?"

Kili's smile faded. "He...Hes not himself any more. Do you remember what Gandalf said when he told of the fall of Erebor... about why the dragon came?"

Elira nodded "It was the Gold right?"

Kili sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yes but there's a reason why the gold was here to begin great Grandfather he.. He became sick..but not physically.. it was his mind. He became obsessed with gold.. he began hoarding it, hiding it and himself away from others. It drove him mad..."

"and you think thats whats happening to Thorin?" She asked slowly

"I pray not. But its starting.. I can see it in his eyes. He is not him self" he choked out

Elria closed the gap between them and kiseed him "Thorin is strong. If anyone can fight through this its him. We just have to be there to help pull him out of it."

He smiled down at her "Thank you.."

Shouts began to ring out in the other hall

"Come on"Kili said taking her hand and leading her out

.

.

"Bard!" Rowan shouted happily as the man came to a halt in front of the gate

"you are safe, I feared the worst when the dragon came. what of the Bilbo and Elira?"

"all fine. what of you? Sigrid... Tilda..Bain... are they"

Bard shook his head "singed but fine."

Rowan heard a gasp behind her and turned to see Elira looking down at Bard.

"They're all alive." Rowan said "Bard and the kids"

Elira looked like she was about to call down to Bard but was halted by Thorin strutting forward to the edge.

"Bowman" he nodded

"Hail Thorin, son of Thrain. We are glad to find you alive beyond hope." Bard called

Thorin frowned "Why do you come to gates of the King under the Mountain armed for war?"

Rowan looked past Bard at the band of elves that had settled in a few yards behind him. An uneasy feeling began to settle in her.

"Why does the King under the Mountain fence himself in like a robber in his hole?"

"Perhaps it is because I'm expecting to be robbed." Thorin growled back

Bard sighed "My Lord, we have not come to rob you, but to seek fair settlement. Will you not speak with me?"

After a moment of thought Thorin nodded

"I'm listening."

"On behalf of Te people of Lake-town, I ask that you honor your pledge. A share of the treasure, so that they might rebuild their lives."

Thorin's eyes narrowed "I will not treat with any man, while an armed host lies before my door."

"That armed host will attack this mountain if we do not come to terms."

"And your threats do not sway me."

"What of your conscience?" Bard shot back "Does it not tell you our cause is just? My people offered you help and in return you brought upon them only ruin and death!"

"When did the men of Lake-town come to our aid but for the promise of rich reward."

"A bargain was struck!" Bard yelled

"A bargain? What choice did we have but to barter our birthright for blankets and food. To ransom our future in exchange for our freedom. You call that a fair trade? Tell me, Bard the dragon-slayer, why should I honor such terms?"

"Because you gave us your word. Does that mean nothing?"

Rowan watched tensely as Thorin paused

"Begone!" he shouted "Ere our arrows fly!"

Rowan felt her anger build as she watched Bard turn and ride away from the mountain.

Thorin simply scoffed as the bowman disappeared from view.

Finally she could not take it any longer

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She said as Thorin passed by her

He stopped mid stride and turned back to face her.

"Thorin I vouched for you back in lake town I gave my word, Elira and Bilbo too. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Shes right" Elira pipped up "these people need our help Thorin we cant just turn our backs on them!"

"We gave our word that you would make good on your promise" Bilbo said joining them.

Thorin regarded them with a dark look "And when the mountain is rebuilt then they will prosper form the benefits of the mountains trade as Dale did before. But I will not part with a single coin for those thieves!" he shouted before turning and descending the steps and walking out of sight.

..

.

As night fell Rowan found her self wandering up to the balcony once more. She felt stifled under the mountain after Thorin's outburst, even after everyone had left she could still feel a different air in the mountain.

As she climbed the last few steps she was surprise to find Elira already up there. She was laying on a blanket staring up at the night sky seemingly lost in her own world.

Elira turned when Rowan approached, smiling as she lay down next to her on the blanket. For a while neither of them spoke, they just stared up at the multitude of stars that littered the night sky like small pinpricks in space.

"You know its the first thing I noticed when we came here.. the stars.. They were so bright" Elira said quietly finally breaking the silence

Rowan gave a small smile "it seems like so long ago now"

"In all my wildest dreams I would have never imagined that we'd wind up here."Elira smiled back

Rowan laughed quietly "the vacation of a life time... seems its turned into the adventure of a life time. I wanted to go home so badly when we first got here.. but now.. I don't think I would"

"Me neither."

Both were silent again for a moment

"What are we going to do about Thorin?" Elira whispered

"I ... I don't know.."

"I had a vision..." Elira started

Rowan propped her self up and looked over at her "What do you mean a vision"

Elira looked over at her then off into the distance "back in Rivendell... my grandmother.. she showed me how to use the mirror..to see things"

Rowan sat up fully "what did you see?"

"It wasn't very clear just bits... people yelling.. swords and amour...the dead..." she said almost inaudibly at the end " I didn't know what it was showing me until now.."

Rowan laid back down "You know I looked into that too... It showed my my past a bit of the future... But there was one thing that she told me that I had to understand, the future isn't set in stone. The future is always changing. We just have to change it I suppose"

Elira pause a moment before looking Rowan with a smile

"Rowan... I'm glad your here with me"

She smiled back "I wouldnt have wanted anyone else by my side through this"

Rowan stood up and stretched "I'm heading back down, see if I can get something to eat before bed. you coming?"

Elira shook her head "I already ate earlier... I think I'm gona sleep out here for a bit. I'm still not too keen sleeping under ground."

Rowan nodded "same here. Be safe alright?"

She nodded and watched as Rowan disappeared down the steps before laying back down.

..

.

Elira woke to the sound of quiet steps coming up the stairs. She was expecting to see Rowan at the top of the stairs, but instead she saw a very startled Bilbo.

"Oh..er Elira...I um..did not expect to see you up here" he stuttered

"Are you alright Bilbo?" she asked watching the hobbit fidget nervously with the hem of his coat.

The hobbit seemed to be wrestling with something in his mind as he stood there.

"Bilbo what ever it is you can tell me..." Elira said earnestly

Bilbo sighed "I suppose" he said nervously

He checked around them making sure they were alone before stepping closer to Elira. Slowly he reached into his pocket.

Elira gasped as he pulled the Arkenstone out from it, the gem glittering in the moon light.

"Bilbo...wha.."

"let me explain" he said putting the stone back in his pocket "I was going to give it to Thorin I was, but hes not himself anymore. Balin...he said that he thinks that having the stone will only make him worse..."

"What are you going to do with it then?" she asked

"I'm going to stop this war before it can begin... I'm taking it to Bard to use as a bartering chip."

Elira sat there for a moment thinking about what Rowan had said earlier.

"I'll help you"

Bilbo was caught off guard by the offer "but why your apart of them now..your with Kili...and .."

Elira stopped him "and that is why I want to save them from a war that doesn't need to happen"

Bilbo nodded "very well but we must hurry we haven't much time. Everyone's asleep so we must go now" he said pulling a coil of rope from his bag.

Together they tied off the rope and made their way down, silently making their way towards Dale


	33. A long way for betrayal

_**Wow almost 17,000 views ! I cant believe it! The amount of reviews , follows, favs,and views on this story have blown me away. I never imagined I'd get this much of a positive response to my first story ever. You guys are the bomb! I've been re- working this chapter and the next few a lot so I may go back and tweak a few things in the next few weeks. But I have the next few chapters already drafted up so the updates should be pretty regular from now on!**_

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Rowan woke later than usual the next morning, blinking at the streams of sunlight streaming in from holes in the walls. Slowly she shuffled out of the room and into the hall following the sound of voices and smell of food.

She took the plate Dori handed to her thanking him as she sat down. There were only a few dwarfs still eating breakfast, only Dori, Ori and Dwalin.

"So.." Rowan began catching their attention "Is there like a place to bath in the mountain?"

"Aye, Ori Bofur found one of the springs yesterday. I'll take ya down after breakfast." Dwalin offered.

"It'll have to wait" Balin said walking into the room "Thorin wants to see us all in the armory"

They all stood and followed Balin to the armory, where the rest of the company was pulling on armor and weapons.

In the far corner Rowan could see Kili helping Elira with her armor, pulling on the loose straps.

Rowan stood there not knowing where to start, she wasn't entirely sure what she would need for her self.

"come on lass lets have you try this on" Dwalin said coming beside her with arms full of armor.

..

"how does that feel?" he asked buckling the chest plate in place.

"Good I suppose, its a bit big but I get the feeling most things in here are gong to be big on me" Rowan joked

Dwalin smiled sadly down at her. " I never thought I'd be dressing my daughter for war" he said quietly as Rowan began taking off the armor.

..

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"This place is amazing" Rowan said tracing the fingers of her free hand along the carvings littering the walls as they walked.

"Just wait until it is restored" Dwalin said Proudly "The beauty of Erebor was unmatched before the dragon came"

"I cant wait to see it" Rowan smiled back.

As they walked Dwalin told her of Erebor, pointing out various rooms and passages as they went.

"Dwalin.." Rowan interrupted after a while "I wanted to thank you"

The old dwarf stopped to look at her " for what?"

"For taking me in, keeping me safe.. for everything I suppose..."

Rowan was caught off guard as he pulled her into a hug "you don't have to thank me lass... adopting you was the best decision I have made"

She smiled at him " you're a great...parent"

..

They were quiet for a while as they walked before Rowan broke the silence

"Dwalin... whats war like?" she asked quietly

Dwalin sighed "Its... unimaginable lass..."

He put a hand on her shoulder "you don't have to worry about that lass. Nothing will happen to you.. not while I still draw breath."

They stopped at the door to the spring.

"I'll be back for ya in a bit" he said

Rowan shook her head "I can find my way back. It wasn't exactly a complicated journey"

"alright if you're sure"

He turned to leave

"Dwalin..." She said quietly "Do you think Thorin will really go to war?"

Dwalin shook his head slowly "I don't know lass"

...

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Elira had spent most of the morning napping, still worn out from her late night adventure.

_...Flashback..._

_Elira and Bilbo could hear raised voices as they neared the tent_

_ "You, bowman! Do you agree with this? Is gold so important to you? Would you buy it with the blood of Dwarves?"_

_Elira smiled at the familiar booming voice of the wizard._

_"It will not come to that. This is a fight they cannot win." Bard replied calmly _

_ Bilbo pushed open the flaps of the tent, Elira close behind him. __"That won't stop them. You think the dwarves will surrender? They won't. They will fight to the death to defend their own."_

_"Bilbo! Elira!" Gandalf exclaimed _

_Thranduil regarded them with a scrutinizing look "If I'm not mistaken, this is the Halfling who stole the keys to my dungeons from under the nose of my guards."  
_

_"Yesh. Sorry about that.." he said awkwardly " but I came to give you this."_

_Slowly he pulled the Arkenstone from his pocket and held it for them to see_

_"The Heart of the Mountain. The King's jewel." Thranduil breathed_

_"And worth a king's ransom." Bard added looking at Bilbo and Elira "__How is this yours to give?"_

_ "I took it as my fourteenth share of the treasure."_

_"Why would you do this? You owe us no loyalty." Bard asked them_

_"I'm not doing it for you. I know that dwarves can be obstinate and pigheaded and difficult. And suspicious and secretive with the worst manners you can possibly imagine, but they are also brave and kind and loyal to a fault. I've grown very fond of them, and I would save them if I can." Bilbo said earnestly _

_"Thorin values this stone above all else. In exchange for it's return, I believe he will give you what you need to rebuild. There will be no need for war. We can all walk away from this at peace" Elira added_

_.._

_After their meeting with Thranduil and Bard, Gandalf took them aside "Rest up tonight. You must leave tomorrow."_

_"What?" Bilbo said echoing Elira's thoughts_

_"Get as far away from here as possible."_

_Bilbo seemed shocked by the wizards orders" I-I'm not leaving." _

_"Neither am I" Elira protested_

_"Oh?" Gandalf said raising his eyebrows_

_Bilbo shook his head "You picked me as the fourteenth man. I'm not about to leave the company now."_

_"And I'm not leaving Rowan or the company for that matter... They need our help!"_

_"There is no company, not any more. And I don't like to think what Thorin would do when he finds out what you've done."_

_"I'm not afraid of Thorin." Bilbo said shaking his head_

_"Nor am I."_

_Gandalf regarded them with a dark look "Well, you should be. Don't underestimate the evil of gold. Gold over which a serpent had long brooded. Dragon-sickness seeps into the hearts of all who came to this Mountain... Almost all."_

_.._

As she had just finished eating, Elira heard shouts from the overlook.

"I suppose we should go see" Kili said helping her to her feet.

"Kili wait..." Elira said pulling him back

"What is it"

"Its just... Will you always love me?" she said quietly

Kili Frowned "Of course I will"

"No matter what?... Even if I did something bad?" she pressed

"I will always love you and nothing will change that... Besides I don't think your capable of doing something horrible. Where is this coming from?"

Elira shook her head "Its nothing" she said before he pulled her into a kiss

...

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Elira felt sick as she looked out over the balcony. Thranduil and Bard slowly approached the gate, a large host of elves behind them.

Thorin growled as he lifted his bow, loosing an arrow at the Elvin king. The elf did not flinch as the arrow landed just shy of him, embedding its self in the ground with a thud.

"I will put the next one between your eyes." Thorin shouted

Thranduil sighed and waved his hand behind him. The elves drew their bows, taking aim at the company. after a moment Thranduil waved again watching smugly as the archers relaxed their bows.

"We've come to tell you payment of your debt has been offered and accepted." Thranduil called to Thorin

"What payment? I gave you nothing. You have nothing." Thorin shouted back

Bard slowly moved forward coming to a halt next to Thranduil. carefully he removed the stone from his pocket.

"We have this." He said tossing the stone up and catching it.

"They have the Arkenstone. Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the king!" Kili shouted

Elira could feel her heart clenching in her chest

"The King may have it, with our good will." Bard said slipping the stone back into his pocket "But first he must honor his word."

"They're taking us for fools. This is a ruse, and a filthy lie. The Arkenstone is in this Mountain, it is a trick!" Thorin yelled, slamming his fists against the ledge.

"I...i..it's no trick... The stone is real." Bilbo said carefully from beside Elira, shaking as he stepped forward.

Thorin turned to face him "What"

"Bilbo and I... We gave it to them.." Elira said quietly

"You?!" He yelled, taking a step forward.

"I took it as my fourteenth share." Bilbo said trying to keep his voice level

"You would steal from me?" Thorin growled

"Steal from you? No, no. I may be a burglar, but I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim."

"And mine as well" Elira added hoping to dissolve the tension

"Against your claim?" Thorin chuckled "Your claim, you have no claim over me, you miserable rats!"

"I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to, but..." Bilbo trailed off

"But what, thief?"

"You are changed, Thorin.. you cannot see what you have become. The Dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word, would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!"

Thorin clenched his jaw "Do not speak to me of loyalty."

"Thorin please we're just trying to help you..." Elira pleaded

Thorin scoffed "Help? I should have known better than to trust an elf. You're no better than the rest of your kind!"

He turned back to the rest of the company

"Throw them from the rampart!" He ordered

She watched as the company stood still, looking torn as they looked between her and Thorin.

"Did you not hear me?!" He shouted at them "Very well...I will do it myself."

Elira scrambled backwards as Thorin charged at them, his eyes wild as he reached out to grab them.

"Bilbo!" She yelled grabbing a hold of the hobbit as Thorin seized him by the collar, attempting to drag him to the edge.

"No!" Fili yelled as he and Bofur rushed forward, pulling Thorin away.

Elira looked around in panic trying to find a way out as he shook Fili and Bofur off.

He drew his sword as he neared where she and Bilbo stood. She backed away from him, pulling Bilbo with her.

Suddenly Thorin stopped his advance as he felt the cold tip of a blade pressed into the back of his neck

"I would rethink what your next move is here if I were you"

...

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Elira gasp- Rowan stood behind Thorin, her sword pressed to the back of his neck.

"The sword" She clenched her jaw, Her eyes narrowing at the dwarf king "Now" she growled

A small twitch of fear settled into Elira's heart as she watched Rowan. There was almost a distant angry look in her eyes. As the light hit them she could see a tinge of gold had begun to seep into the blue, just like she had seen in Thorin's eyes.

Thorin didn't move, his eyes still fixed on Bilbo and Elira.

Rowan snorted and circled around to face him, her blade never leaving his throat

"Four..." she said in a menacing tone, pressing the tip of the blade further "Three..." she continued, the tip drawing blood now.

Thorin Narrowed his eyes at Rowan. For a moment Elira thought he might take a swing at Rowan, then much to her relief, he sheathed his sword.

Rowan however did not lower her blade "Two..."She continued in almost a whisper, the distant look still in her eyes .

"ROWAN!" Elira called out, fear and panic seeping into her voice.

She stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. Rowan lowered her sword from Thorin's neck, though still keeping it in hand.

"Eli are you alright?" she asked looking her over.

Elira nodded, relieved to see familiar eyes staring back at her.

They both took a few steps back from Thorin, who was looking at them with unbridled anger. Elira looked around at the stunned faces of the company who watched the scene in horror.

"How dare you!" Thorin bellowed at Rowan "how dare you raise your sword to me. I am your king!"

Rowan's whole body tensed

"But you're not!" she yelled "You're not my king... and you never will be either."

There was a defining silence

"Your father would be ashamed of you for this" Thorin spat "siding with an elf and a hobbit over your own kind."

Rowan gritted her teeth "My father.. would never stand behind a mad king who cares so much more about his gold, that he would be willing to sacrifice the lives of his friends and family just to hold on to it! you are no better than the dragon"

Thorin bellowed in rage, charging at the young woman. The company snapped out of their stupor, lunging forward to grab ahold of him, holding him back as he thrashed trying to break free from their grasp.

"If you don't like my additions to the company then please don't damage them, Return them to me" A familiar voice rose up above the commotion.

"You're not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain, are you, Thorin, son of Thrain?"

Thorin stopped fighting and glared down at Gandalf

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards! Or Shire rats! Or half breeds! traitors the lot of you" he said turning back to Bilbo Elira and Rowan "Leave my sight and pray we never meet again!" he growled

Bilbo quickly pulled the rope he had used earlier out of his pack and set securing it to the edge.

Rowan kept her sword up as they made their way to the edge.

"Elira" Bilbo motioned for her to go first turning to climb down next.

As Rowan sheathed her sword to leave, Thorin called out

"And as for you" He growled "Rowan Firebrand, for threatening the life of the king and protecting traitors to the crown, I banish you from Erebor and from all its allied dwarf lands till the end of your days."

Rowan flinched back as if she had been struck.

"Uncle you can't!"

"Thorin!"

Dwalin and Fili's voices rose up above the rest

"If she goes I go" Fili said

Dwalin nodded

"Stop" Rowan said shaking her head "This is your home, you belong here with your people... Besides Thorin need you more than I do right now"

"Rowan wait.." she heard Fili call as she slipped over the ledge and out of sight.

..

Rowan stumbled slightly as her feet touched the ground.

She didnt dare look back up at the mountain as she walked numbly to where Gandalf and Bard were waiting.

"Rowan.. Rowan!" she heard Elira call to her as she passed by her.

"Rowan..." she called one last time as she watched her friend mounted one of the horses and turn to follow Thranduil and the rest of the army.

"Best let her be for now my dear" Gandalf said softly helping her onto the horse.

..

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A/N; _some drama here at the end for everybody. Poor Rowan and Elira, someone needs to smack some sense into Thorin. So have you guys figured out what's up with Rowan? We'll find out in a few chapters. Let me know what you guys think so far!_


	34. A long way to promise

_**Hey guys! Oh my goodness,were so close to the end. I'm still trying to figure out if I want to make the short sequel or just tack on a few extra chapters on to this story. What do you guys think?**_

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Rowan Laid on the small cot in the corner of the tent staring up at the canvas ceiling. She wanted to cry, scream, to go back up to the mountain and give Thorin a piece of her mind- but she just laid there numbly, wishing she was a stronger person so that the ache inside of her chest would cease.

slowly she pulled her necklace from under her shirt turning it over in her palm.

She sighed running her fingers over the bird covering the front.

"Lady Firebrand" a male voice called from outside the tent flaps.

Rowan sat up, placing the necklaces back in its place. "Enter"

A tall brown haired elf pushed back the flaps of her tent and stepped inside with a short bow "My Lady. Gandalf the Grey has requested your presence. He says it is of utmost importance"

Rowan nodded pulling on her coat "Very well" she said following the elf out of her tent.

As she exited the tent she nearly tripped as she collided with something solid.

"Ouch"

She looked down to see Bilbo rubbing his head "Oh Bilbo I'm so sorry" she apologized

Bilbo merely waved a hand at her "Its fine.. He told me to wait outside while he got you... I guess I should have waited further back"

"Follow me please" the elf said as he began to walk away from the tent.

"Rowan..." Bilbo began as they walked "I'm sorry for what happened we never meant for..."

Rowan held up a hand stopping him.

"What happened was not your faults. What is done is done... please just to leave it for now" She asked shaking her head

..

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Elira followed the tall blond elf through the camp finally stopping in front of what she recognized as Thranduil's tent that she and Bilbo had met him and Bard in the previous night.

Slowly she pushed the flap back and stepped inside. Everyone looked up at her arrival

"Ah Elira there you are.. well now that were all here we can begin" Gandalf said gesturing her forward to where he stood around a large table covered in maps.

Bilbo smiled at her from where he stood next to the wizard. Elira smiled back coming to stand beside him. She could also see Thranduil along the side of the tent pouring a glass of wine. Bard Stood a bit further down from Gandalf, rolling his eyes at the elf king who came back to the table, glass of wine in hand.

As she looked back at Bard she noticed Rowan standing along side the Bowman. Her arms crossed over her chest, a stoic look on her face.

She wanted to say something to her friend but was stopped as Gandalf began to speak.

"Thank all of you for coming"

"you said this was important Gandalf" Bard said

The old wizard sighed "It is... I have received news from the ravens"

"What do they say?" Thranduil asked impatiently

"War is coming. A legion of orcs and goblins are headed for Erebor... the pits of Dol Guldur have been emptied"

No one spoke for a moment. Elira couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had avoided one war only to have another come to them.

"How long do we have?" Rowan asked calmly turning to the wizard

"They will be here by mid morning- no later. The will march upon the mountain" Gandalf replied gravely

"The mountain is not my concern" Thranduil said dryly "But I have allied myself with the people of lake town. We will defend what we need... and no more"

"But the dwarfs will be outnumbered by far"Elira spoke up

"I'm sure Thorin has sent word to Dain by now... But Elira is still right. This fight is not just for the mountain but for the safety of middle earth itself. If Azog takes the mountain then the enemy will have a foothold in this world"

Bard sighed " If Erebor is taken by orcs that will make Dale uninhabitable..."

"Then we are at an agreement" Gandalf said triumphantly

"We shall see" Thranduil muttered.

They all turned as one of Thranduil's guards entered the tent "My lord- there is a messenger from Lothlorien"

Thranduil looked puzzled "Show him in"

the guard disappeared for a moment, returning another elf behind him.

Elira studied the elf for a moment. He was tall with long pale blond hair. His face was ageless yet he gave off the impression of age and wisdom"

"Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn. " he said placing a hand on his heart.

"Gi nathlam hí" Thranduil replied

The elf bowed slightly "I am Haldir marchwarden of Lothlorien"

"This is a surprise I must say" Thranduil said studying him "What brings you so far to this place?"

"I have been sent my my mistress to aid her kin" he replied. He caught sight of Elira and bowed deeply "My lady I am here at your service"

Elira blinked at the elf in front of her "My grandmother sent you?"

"Indeed she did my lady. She had foreseen a great battle would come to pass and sent me to ensure your safety"

"So your the missing princess of Lothlorien? This is a surprising turn" Thranduil mused, though something in his voice told Elira it was not really a surprise at all.

Gandalf cleared his throat loudly "If we are quite ready to get back to the matter at hand, our time to prepare runs thin"

They rejoined him at the table as he spread a map of the valley out on the surface. "From best I can tell they will come from the south" he said pointing at the map "which gives us the advantage of the high ground..."

"We can set archers along the ridge here facing into the valley" Bard said dragging his finger along the map

"We can cut most of them off from Raven hill if needed. Try to bottleneck them the best we can" Gandalf decided. "We must hurry and prepare Dawn is not far off"

He turned to Rowan Bilbo and Elira "We must find a safe place for the three of you to stay until this is over"

Elira shook her head "I may not be ready to fight head on in a war, but I can assist the archers on the wall."

She looked at Haldir "If that is what you wish to do I will assist you" he said bowing.

Thranduil hummed "Very well then the both of you will lead the archers on the wall. I will have them assemble for you at dawn."

Elira nodded, unsure of whether she could command an army.

Rowan spoke up for the first time since the beginning of the meeting, her expression unwavering. "I will fight in the charge" She said flatly

Bard regarded her gravely "Surely you would be safer on the wall"

Rowan shook her head "I will fight in the charge"

"Under whose banner?" Thranduil asked poinently "If I recall you are no longer of Erebor's banner"

For a moment Elira saw a flash of pain and sadness on Rowans face, breaking through her stoic mask.

Rowan said nothing to Thranduil, but turned to Bard instead "Under that of the bowman, if he will have me"

Bard nodded "aye"

"What about the dwarfs?" Bilbo asked "shouldn't someone warn them"

"The ravens have already alerted them to the danger...whether they help us is up to them" Gandalf replied dryly

...

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The sky was beginning to lighten over the hills as they left the tent. All around them elves and men bustled around them.

Rowan retired back to her tent. she stared at her armour piled on her cot slowly she began to dress, carefully lacing up her boot and double knotting the laces. She pulled the chainmail over her shirt then pulled on her thin coat over it. she became aware of the face after a moment that she would need help with the rest and left her tent to find Bard.

"Rowan!"

turning she saw a familiar head of Red hair.

"Tauriel!"

"You look lost" she said looking down at Rowan

"I'm looking for Bard...my armour is a two person job it seems"

the red haired elf laughed "Allow me"

..

"you seem nervous" Tauriel said as she buckled Rowans elbow plate in place.

Rowan moved her arms back and forth testing the armour "Going into battle was not really one of the things I expected to do in my life"

"Then why go? why not stay here where you can be safe from harm?"

Rowan sighed strapping her sword to her hip "Because are we ever safe from harm in life? Of course not. The real question is- are we living a life that is worth the harm? I believe that to protect my friends and family is worth what ever harm may come"

she finished as she strapped her bow to her back, and tucking a few daggers into her belt for good measure.

Tauriel handed her a small shield "Your courage is admirable." she said with a smile

"Alámenë Rowan Firebrand, cormlle naa tanya tel'raa" she chuckled as she left the tent.

...

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Across the camp Elira began setting out her armor.

"Your grandmother sent this for you" Haldir said handing her a small wooden box

She took it carefully and opened the lid. The first item she pulled out was a small gold diadem made to look like intertwined vines and leaves.

"It was the lady Galadriel's when she was princess" Haldir explained as she ran her fingers along the vines .

Elira carefully placed it next to her on the cot and looked back into the box. lining the bottom appeared to be a silver corset. as she pulled it out she was surprised to discover it was much lighter than she expected.

"It is made of Mithril... stronger than steel yet light as a feather. no blade can pierce it"

"Thank you Haldir"

The elf nodded "I shall take my leave to prepare. I shall come find you when it is time"

Elira nodded. She waited until the tent flap shut once more before sprawling on the cot. She held up the corset in front of her and sighed

"How did it come to this..." she whispered

..

Elira dressed quickly in her new armour. Most of the pieces she had gotten in the mountain were too big for her so Thranduil had supplied her with some elvish armour to supplement what she was missing.

Finally she buckled her crimson cape around her shoulders, and placed the diadem on her head, securing it in her hair.

"My lady it is time" she heard Haldir call from outside her tent.

Elira took one last deep breath before exiting the tent. The sun was up above the ridge now, peaking out from behind the clouds that laced the sky.

"Come my lady. the troops have gathered for us" He said ushering her towards the edge of the courtyard.

From where she stood she could see dozens of like dressed elves waiting at attention. At the sound of her foot steps they turned in unison to face her.

Elira sucked in some air and squared her shoulders.

"We make for the over look on the ridge" she said in the most authoritative voice she could muster

The troops said nothing but merely parted as she and Haldir passed through them before turning as one and following behind them.

As they walked through the city, Elira caught sight of who she had been searching for. "Give me a moment" she told Haldir before rushing off

"Rowan!"

At the sound of her name Rowan turned round to face her. Elira paused to take in the sight of her. She too had supplemented some of her armour with some that Bard had given her. She wore her same coat as always, but Elira could see chainmail sticking out underneath of her shirt and small chest piece. She also wore tarnished silver guards on her knees elbows and forearms, and thick leather fingerless gloves.

She looked in a stark contrast to her own sterling elvish armour Elira thought with a laugh.

"There you are I have been looking for you all morning!" Rowan breathed with relief pulling her into a hug

she paused from the hug for a moment holding Elira at arms length "Well don't you look snazzy " Rowan said raising her eyebrows

"so do you."

They both allowed themselves a short laugh, forgetting what was about to come for a moment.

"So this is it" Rowan said looking around them

"Promise me you'll be safe" Elira said looking intently at her friend

Rowan gave her a lopsided grin "Don't worry Eli, I don't plan on dying today."

Elira didn't look convinced

"Trust me, I'm not stupid... I know I'm not nearly trained enough to dive head first into the throng. I'll stick to the edges, scouts honor."

they held eachothers gaze for a moment, neither one wanting to admit that it could be the last time they saw each other again.

Finally Elira could not take it anymore. She pulled Rowan into another hug "promise you'll come back" she said her voice cracking

"Eli" Rowan said quietly

"No promise me" Elira said pulling from the hug

Rowan gave her a teary smile "I always do don't I?" She said extending her pinkey to Elira. Elira gave a hiccupped laugh as she wiped away a stray tear before locking her pinkey with Rowans.

"i think the last time you made a pikey swear with me was when you promised not to tell Mr. Adkinson that it was me who broke his mail box" Elira laughed

" but its a two way street" Rowan said looking seriously at her "...please just stay up in the overlook. Promise?"

"Promise"

Rowan looked over to where the elves stood waiting "Hey Haldir!" she shouted

The blond elf looked over at her

"If you let anything happen to her while I'm gone you're going to have to find a new world to live in cus I'll make sure this ones a living hell for you"

Haldir bowed to her "you have my word"

"Everythings going to be fine" Rowan assured her before hugging her one last time "Good luck"

"Good luck"

...

A/N: Êl síla erin lû e-govaned vîn-A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting

Gi nathlam hí-Welcome/ I greet you

Alámenë- go with blessing

cormlle naa tanya tel'raa-Your heart is that of the lion

Dun dun dun... Here comes the battle!


	35. A long way for War

**_I cant believe it , were finally here- Let the battle begin! Thank you guys for all your reviews of the last few chapters! Im kinda nervous about this chapter, I've never written a battle scene before so I'm not sure how its going to be.._**

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Rowan stood next to Bard as they looked over the valley. She shifted nervously as they waited. The only sound that could be heard was the distant booming voice of Thorin's cousin Dain who had marched over into the valley a few hours ago.

"How are you feeling?" Bard asked

"To be honest...Scared" She breathed

"It will be fine just trust your instincts"

Rowan made one last glance up at the overlook where Elira and the other archers stood waiting. She did not like the idea of not being able to keep and eye on Elira during the battle.. she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach about it. She constantly reminded herself that Elira was safeer up there than down in the city and that she had a guard with her along with many armed elves at her command.

As they waited, the seconds dragged on for what seemed an eternity. Then she heard it- drums. The rhythmic pounding of drums echoed in the distance followed by a horn blast.

"Courage Rowan" Bard said placing a hand on her shoulder as the drums neared "Get ready"

..

From up on the overlook Elira's heart sped up as she heard another horn sound, the drums drawing nearer.

"Tangado haid!" She ordered drawing her own bow as well.

The moments ticked by at an unbearable pace, all the while the drums drew nearer. Then finally she saw them. They spilled over the ridge opposite them, filling the valley with grotesque yells.

"Leithio i philinn!"Elira shouted, not flinching as arrows whizzed past her, filling the sky in front of her.

From below her she heard a great war cry erupted as the army of men and elves rushe forward. From the other side of the valley she could hear Dain's army rushing at the Orcs.

..

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Rowan felt her heart beat faster as she saw the orcs spill into the valley

Bard stood in front of all of them "Men! Today we take on the darkness that has plagued our realm for far too long.. Today we will fight the darkness and we will win!"

Bard shouted "By all that we hold dear we fight!"

Bard raised his sword "Death!" he roared turning to to charge at the orcs

Rowan raised her sword with them men around her as they began surging forward "Death!" they cried

...

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"Fire!" Elira called out again letting out another wave of arrows. she watched as the armies neared each other her heart thumping in her chest. Just then she heard a loud crash from the she looked through the dust billowing around the mountain gate her heart leapt as she saw the company Led by Thorin charging on to the battlefield.

"Back archers! supply cover fire for those dwarfs until they can reach their kin" Elira ordered

A defining cland echoed through the valley as the armies met, the sides becoming mixed with each other as they fought. "Refocus the arrows on the ones still coming into the valley!" Elira shouted as she watched the stream of orcs begin to ebb.

...

.

Rowan turned towards the mountain as a crash echoed around her. her heart leaping in her chest as the company rushed out of the mountain and onto the field.

Her happiness however only lasted a few seconds before she refocused on the army of orcs rushing at her. She held her breath as the two side met, watching as the first wave of soldiers attacked the first orcs. Soon more came flooding through their ranks. She dodged the first orc that charged at her managing to kill it without much difficulty. She grimaced as she began to notice that some of the orcs wore thick steel armour.

"Can nothing be easy?" she groaned as one of the armored orcs took notice of her

It swung its ax at her, which she barely managed to avoid. As the orc came at her again, Rowan readied herself to dodge the blow, but just as it swung, a sword plunged through its chest.

Rowan Blinked at the dead orc at her feet for a moment before nodding her thanks to the elf behind the corpse, before continuing her way through the battle field.

...

.

Elira gritted her teeth as she watched the stream of orcs stop. She groaned as she realized that she couldn't risk having her men fire into the field any longer or else she risked hitting her own people.

_"Forgive me Rowan"_ she thought

Elira turned to face the archers . "Prepare to relocate!" she ordered

"My lady?" Haldir said giving her a questioning look

Elira shook her head "We can no longer do any good up here. We must relocate to a lower level so we can be able to hit specific targets on the battlefield" She said firmly

Haldir only smiled "A wise move my lady"

...

.

Rowan had no idea how long she had been fighting for, but judging by the shadows she would guess it to have been a while now.

She begun to feel the wear of battle. She could feel cuts stinging all over her body as sweat and dirt rubbed into them every time she moved. Her tired body protesting with every movement.

She tensed as she felt something brush up against her back. Quickly she spun around ready to stab whatever it was. She stopped mid swing as she saw a familiar face staring back at her.

"Bofur?" she said looking at his dirt smudged face

"Lass!" he said happily, turning to stab at an orc "How are you?"

"Oh you know.." Rowan said as she dodged a blow parrying it with her sword "just dandy" she said stabbing the orc through the chest.

"Have you seen anyone else?" she asked as they pressed together back to back

"Aye." He grunted "Saw Gloin and Dori not too long ago"

"Thank goodness I...' she began, turning to look at him for a second. When she looked back she saw a sword swinging towards her. Unable to block it in time, she threw her self to the ground, rolling away from the orc. As she hoisted herself to her feet ,she looked around for Bofur, but the hatted dwarf had been swallowed up in the sea of people.

As she looked around, she saw an orc swinging a large scythe at a dark haired dwarf. She watched as the orc hit the dwarf in the arm, knocking him backwards. "Oye!" Rowan called to the Orc Swinging her sword as she ran at it. The orc dodged the blow easily, thrusting its scythe at her in return. she hissed as she felt the tip of the orcs blade graze her shoulder. The orc laughed as it approached her. Rowan heard a loud shout as the dark haired dwarf charged at the orc, the beads in his beard swinging wildly .The orc growled at the dwarf,turning away from Rowan to swing at him, the blade nearly grazing the dwarf's beard. Rowan took the opportunity while it was distracted to bring her sword down across the orcs back. It let out a howl of pain as it fell to the ground with a thump.

"Thanks lass" the dwarf said gruffly, nodding to her before charging into the throng.

She picked up her small shield from where it had slipped off her arm and plunged back into the battle.

...

.

Elira loosed another arrow, watching as it hit its mark- dropping the orc where it stood.

Slowly she turned her attention from the battle as one of the elves came rushing towards her.

"My lady orcs are headed this way" He called pointing down below

Elira followed his gesture to where a small band of orcs were headed towards them.

"Front archers continue your shots. The rest of you prepare for battle" she said drawing her swords, breathing deeply

Haldir drew his sword as well "Stay behind me my lady" He said standing in front of her.

The orcs snarled as they charged at them, weapons drawn.

Elira stayed close to Hildar as he fought off the incoming orcs.

A flash of movement caught Eliras eye. Turning, she could see a few orcs approaching the front archers who were still firing into the valley.

Without a moments thought she rushed at them stabbing the closest orc. It let out a shriek as it fell, alerting the others to her presence. She was knocked back a bit as she blocked a blow from another orc,recovering as she kicked it in the chest, pushing it back.

"My lady behind you!" she heard Haldir call out

She spun around too late, watching wide eyed as the orc plunged its sword into her gasped for air as she fell to the ground, all the air seemingly gone from her lungs. Haldir called out as he rushed to her, killing the orc before pulling her away from the others .

"Lady Elira! Are you hurt?... please answer me" He said urgently as he propped her up.

Elira coughed violently as she waved a hand at him "Im fine,... just the wind knocked out of me. Mithril corset remember?" she wheezed

Haldir sighed "no wonder your friend seems to be so worried about you! you just go charging head first into danger"

Elira shrugged "I get it from Rowan"

around them the elves had finished dispatching the last of the orcs and were returning to their posts

"You are hurt" he noted nodding to the blood soaking her shirt sleeve

Elira lifted the fabric gently to reveal a short jagged cut along her arm

"Great" she said

"Sir Haldir, Lady Elira more orcs are coming this way." one of the elves called

Hildar helped her to her feet, tying a loose piece of cloth around her arm.

Elira turned to them "shoot as many as you can before they reach us. keep the same positions a before"

She picked up her swords preparing for another wave

Haldir sighed "please stay with me this time"

...

.

Rowan was nearing the edge of the battlefield as Raven hill loomed overhead. As she approached she stopped. Up on the hill she could see Thorin, she gasped as she saw Azog lung at him, the two of them locked in battle.

As she watched, she caught sight of movement from the corner of her she spotted two large orcs headed toward the hill. Rowan gritted her teeth as she charged at them. One of the orcs took notice of her and grinned as it rushed to meet her. The orc was faster than most she had encountered, swinging wildly at her as she dodged. She fought back, swinging forward at its exposed chest. There was a loud clang as their blades met

Rowan could feel her arms giving way under the orcs strength as it pushed down on the blade harder, her tired body screaming in protest. Quickly she side stepped, charging as it stumbled to recover it's balance.

They came at eachother again and again, Rowan could feel her body wearing thin. She stumbled to the ground as she dodged another blow, her sword dropping from her hand as she fell. The orc loomed over her as she grasped for her sword, its dagger poised over her heart. Rowan gritted her teeth, mustering the last burst of strength she had, she kicked out at the orc -drawing her dagger as she did.

She gasped as she felt pain sear into her chest. She opened her eyes to see the orcs blade stuck in the far side of her chest . The orc recovered from the kick, angry that his strike had missed. Rowan yelled in pain as it reached over and pulled the blade from her side. It leaned close to her growling something to her in a language she did not understand. She smiled Through gritted teeth as she felt a satisfying squelch as her dagger embedded itself in the orcs chest. It howled in pain, rising up off of her for a moment. It was all she needed, scrambling to retrieve her sword, she plunged it into the orcs throat.

She sat panting for a moment, before pulling her sword from the orc, wiping it clean on her leg.

Her victory was short lived how ever as she looked around for the second orc. Her blood ran cold as she saw it, a large black bow in its hands, its eyes trained on where Thorin was fighting.

She quickly reached for her bow, pulling it from her back. She felt her heart sink as she looked at it- Her bow lay broken in half in her hands, snapped from her encounter with the first orc.

She cursed, throwing the broken bow aside , watching in panic as the orc nocked an arrow and drew back.

Her blood surged through her veins as she stumbled forward, racing up to the orc. She let out a yell as she leapt at the orc, startling it . She heard the bow twang and seconds later she collided with the orc, sending it and her toppling to the ground.

She stabbed at it blindly, her hands shaking with panic, only stopping when its movements ceased beneath her. She rolled off of the orc and onto the ground, laying on her back as she panted.

It was then that she saw the arrow- Its long dark shaft protruding from her stomach.

She winced as she sat up, cringing as she felt warm blood seeping through her shirt.

Rowan could feel herself beginning to slip out of consciousness, as the world began to swim around her.

"Safe... somewhere safe.." she muttered propping herself up on her sword. She half walked half crawled to a nearby alcove in the hill. She lay there, watching the blood soak her shirt, feeling the life draining from her. Tears began to streak down her blood and dirt caked cheeks

"I'm sorry Eli...I tried"

.

.

A/N; Dun Dun Dunnnnnnnnn


	36. A long way to search

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* * *

"Oh honestly Haldir Im fine!" Elira grumbled, shifting impatiently on the stool

"No you're not fine. And if you would hold still this wouldn't be taking as long" Haldir sighed as he wound a clean bandage around her arm.

"There finished." he said tying off the last one.

As soon as the words left his mouth, she shot up from the stool and strapped her weapons back on and hustled out of the tent. "Come on we need to find the company !" she called

Haldir only sighed and followed after her.

Elira Strode through the makeshift camp that had been erected around the battlefield, picking restlessly at the bandages that covered her arm and thigh.

The rows of tents seemed unending as she made her way through row after row.

"Miss. Elira!" a familiar voice squeaked

She stopped, turning on her heels . There outside of one of the tents sat Ori, bandages wrapped around his head.

She ran over to the young dwarf hugging him "are you alright?" she asked looking him over

He nodded " What about you?

"some cuts and a few cracked ribs" Elria said, unconsciously picking at her bandaged arm

"Have you seen any of the others?" she asked anxiously

Ori nodded "My brothers are in this tent getting patched up" he said gesturing behind him

"How are they?"

He shrugged "Dori's missing a finger and Nori get a pretty nasty gash on his back"

Elira gasped

"Dwarves are harty people miss Elira.. Its not as bad as it sounds really" He added quickly.

At that moment Nori's voice rose out of the tent "Bed rest my great round...ouch! What was that for?"

"Can you not behave for one moment honestly" Dori's voice scolded irritably, then more politely he added "I'll see that he doesn't strain himself thank you"

The tent flaps opened and Dori stepped out followed by a disgruntled looking Nori who was rubbing the back of his head.

Their faces lit up when they saw Elira standing with Ori. "Oh Elira thank Mahal you're safe" Dori said

Elira smiled "How are you?"

He waved a heavily bandaged hand at her "Just fine... that is if my brother would stop pulling his stitches every other minute."

"Well maybe if ya didn't cuff me on the head every time I wouldn't. " Nori grumbled "Have you seen any of the others?" he asked turning to Elira

She shook her head

"you guys are the first I've seen"

"Well they've got to be around here somewhere" Dori said trudging forward as Nori, Ori, and Elira followed after him

..

They searched through most of the camps before they found the one Dori was looking for

"They'll most likely gather at Dains camp to regroup" he had told them as they searched "just go to find the blasted place"

Finally they could see the banner of the Iron hills just ahead of them, flapping in the breeze.

"Well bless my beard"

Elira turned at the familiar voice to see Gloin standing behind her.

"Thought it may have been you lot" he said cheerfully

For someone who had just been in a battle he looked surprisingly well Elira thought.

"Have you found any of the others?" he asked them

Dori shook his head "we were searching through the other camps for a while before we found this one"

.

As they walked Gloin filled them in on how the battle had gone for him, describing in great detail his most impressive kills.

She tried not to cringe as he described some of his more creative kills in detail for them, gesturing wildly as he spoke.

Elira was only half listening, keeping an ear out for any sign of the others. It paid off luckily as neared the edge of the camp.

Gloin was in the middle of a story involving three orcs an ax and a broken arrow when Elira's ears pricked up.

"Do you hear that?" she asked them stopping as she listened.

"No" Nori huffed

"I think its Balin" she said excitedly "Over there" she pointed to the direction the voice came from

They followed the sound to a row of large tents set away from the others.

As they neared Elira caught sight of a familiar white beard. "Balin!" she yelled, waving as she ran towards the dwarf

The old dwarf's eyes widened as he saw her "Oh bless you lass you're alright" he said as she hugged him.

"I'm alright too thanks for asking" Nori chipped, sauntering in behind Elira.

"Thats cus we didnt care, ya big git" Gloin laughed.

Elira looked around excited to see Balin, Oin, Biffer and Bombur all sitting around near the tents. They all looked just as beaton as Gloin and some were sporting bandages, but as a whole they seemed to be alright. Elira breathed a sigh of relief.

"And who is that?"Oin asked pointing behind her.

Elira looked at him confused for a moment before remembering the elf standing behind her.

"Oh this is Haldir... My grandmother sent him here to look after me"

THe dwarfs looked at the elf warily but said no more.

She looked around "Who's still missing?" she asked

"Well those four up until now and Bofur went off to go help look for survivors"

"What about..." She started feeling panic beginning to set in as she looked around

Balin chuckled ,putting his hands up to stop her "I was just about to get to that. Thorin and the boys are alive... a bit worse for wear but alive. They're in the tents now getting treated."

"What happened to them?"

"Thorin is much worse off than the rest.. seems he found Azog on the battlefield. His victory came at a cost, He was stabbed in the stomach during the fight. They've managed to stop the bleeding so far and from what we've heard they believe they'll be able to patch him up. Kili was shot in the thigh with an arrow. seems it went in pretty deep... He'll have to use a crutch for a while but the healers say its nothing permanent. And as for Fili, on top some deep cuts he has a broken arm and a few broken ribs. The lads should be out soon in fact"

"What about Thorin... is he still..." Elira asked quietly

Balin shook his head placing a hand on her shoulder "He overcame the madness just after the battle began"

He looked at her sadly "We're sorry lass... for everything that happened. You and Bilbo were right to have done what you did"

Elira smiled "Thank you" she said quietly

"So when will Fili and Kili be done with the healers?" she asked looking at the tent.

As if on cue Kili poked his head out of the tent "What about me?" he asked curiously.

His eyes widened when he saw Elira.

He attempted to run to her, stumbling in the process before remembering his crutch.

Elira met him halfway. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly -tears brimming in his eyes. "I was worried I would never see you again" he breathed "are you alright?" he asked brushing his thumb over the cut on her cheek.

She nodded her eyes trailing over his bandaged leg "does it hurt?" She asked, wiping away a tear with her sleeve.

"Na. Wont be running races anytime soon but it will heal eventually" he said giving her a lopsided grin

"Promise we wont be apart again" she said burying her face in his coat.

He smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head "I wouldn't dream of it"

"Well arnt you lot a sorry sight!"

Elira looked over to see Dwalin coming out of the second tent, clapping Gloin and Dori on the backs.

He smiled as he saw Elira "Good to see you lass" he said clapping her on the back lightly

She smiled at him, wincing a bit at the impact.

He looked around expectantly.

"Is Rowan with you?" he asked

Elira shook her head "She may be off with Gandalf helping in the tents... Oh no shes going to kill me when she gets back" she remembered suddenly

"Whys that?" Balin asked

"I broke my promise" she said sheepishly "I promised I wouldn't go off the overlook... but after the initial charge I ordered my men to go to the lower levels to get better shots"

Kili raised his eyebrows "Your men? You mean you were in the battle..."

Elira looked at him sheepishly "Well not exactly no...I mean I wasn't in the charge with Rowan... Its a long story but somehow I ended up in charged of a group of archers from Thranduil's army who I lead in the fight.." She said finishing the last part quickly

Kili opened his mouth but was cut off by Balin

"That was you leading those men?" he asked

"mmhmm" Elira nodded

"Im impressed lass. I'm sure many people owe you their lives today" Balin said smiling

All at once the dwarfs began asking her to tell her story, questions flying a mile a minuit

"Don't think you're off the hook just yet" Kili whispered to her, sliding his arms over her shoulders "You and I are going to have a long talk about your disregard for personal safety very soon"

As she told the dwarfs the story of her adventures in the battle- Fili emerged from the tent, struggling to pull on his tunic. His left arm was wrapped in a sling and his chest was covered in tightly wound bandages.

"Well the gangs all here then" he said looking at the dwarfs assembled outside the tent. His smile grew when he said Kili and Elira. Instantly he began looking around.

"Wheres Rowan?" he asked anxiously

"I was hoping to find her with one of you..." Elira started

Before she could finish the thought a loud voice called to them

"look who I found lads!" Bofur called

Elira's face brightened as she saw Gandalf and Bilbo following beside him.

"Found him out on the field" Bofur said "Poor lad got a big knock to the head it seems"

"Thank goodness Bilbo" ELira said hugging the hobbit

Gandalf came alongside of them smiling "its good to see you Elira"

He then turned to look at the rest of the company "..Eleven...oh theres Oin... Thirteen... fifteen..." he counted "It seems we are short one"

Elira's face fell "You mean you haven't seen Rowan?"

The old wizard shook his head

"I thought she was with you" Elira said quietly

"She could be helping the healers somewhere" Gandalf suggested

Elira shook her head "I know Rowan and... even if she was, She wouldnt go this long without trying to find us... somethings wrong"

"Did anyone see her during the battle" Dwalin asked worriedly

"I did for a brief moment" Bofur piped up "she looked fine when I saw her, But it was towards the beginning of it all"

"We need to go look for her" Fili said

"I looked checked out a lot of the tents on the other side before I found Ori and I didn't see her there"

"Alright we'll divide up the remaining areas of tents and look. We'll meet back here when we're done" Fili said

Everyone nodded

..

"Any luck on that side?" she asked Bofur

he shook his head

"none on mine either. This was the last row... She has to be here somewhere" she said frantically

"We'll find her don't worry." Kili said taking her hand

"Master dwarfs, Lady Elira I'm glad to find you well"

Elira looked over and spotted Bard walking over to them

"You look troubled" he frowned

"Bard have you seen Rowan" she asked urgently

His frown deepened "Not since the initial charge... Why? have you not found her yet?"

Elira shook her head "No... The rest of the company are looking around the other areas now. Were about to go meet them now"

"I'll come as well and help" Bard said Picking his coat up off the ground near by.

..

.

Elira could feel her heart sinking as they neared the camp. The look on Fili's face when he saw them told her how their search went.

"Anything?" Bofur asked

"Nothing"

"I think its time to expand our search lads..." Balin said slowly as he cast a quick glance off to the battlefield.

"I'll gather some men to help" Bard said walking off back where they had come from.

Balin left too and soon returned with a dozen or so dwarfs, around the same time bard returned with some of his men.

As they began to divide up into groups Balin placed a hand on Elira's shoulder "I think its best you stay here lass"

"But why? I want to help look for her...I have to...I need to know that shes alright"

"The carnage of war...Its not something for the light of heart...seeing things like that... stays with you forever"

"But..."

"Hes right" Kili said putting a hand on her shoulder "I don't think Rowan would want you to have to see that"

"The same goes for you too lads " Balin said pointing at Kili and Fili "you're in no shape to be out and about"

"Balin you cant...Shes my...I need to..." Fili protested, almost pleading.

"Lad I'm sorry... But you're not going to be doing her any good by injuring yourself further"

"Balin..."

"Make sure he stays here " Balin said to Elira and Kili before heading off with the others.

Kili squeezed her hand reassuringly before going off to calm his brother.

Elira watched as The search party left from view. She had never felt so helpless before in her life.

...

.

Balin sighed as they searched the field. The blank faces of the dead staring lifelessly back at him as he searched.

"sir"

he turned to see two people approaching him "Sir this dwarf said that he has something that may help"

Balin and Bard looked anxiously at the wild dark haired dwarf in front of them.

The dwarf bowed before speaking "My lord I heard through the camp you are searching for a wee dark haired lass"

"We are ... you have seen her then?" Balin asked hastily

The dwarf nodded "Aye during the battle she saved my life towards the end... came out of no where..."

"Where did you see her" Bard urged

"Over there towards the edge of the fighting" he said pointing off into the distance"

"Thank you" Balin said before he and bard set off

...

.

When they reached the area the dwarf had spoke of they began to search again.

For a while they found nothing until they reached the very edge of the field.

"This is where we found Thorin" Balin said pointing up the hill "The ravens hill"

They made their way around to the opposite side of the hill, Fanning out around the area.

"What's that over there?" Bard asked

The old dwarf squinted, In the distance he could see a body.

They hurried over to where they body lay.

"its just an orc..." Bard said disappointedly

"Theres another over there" Balin said

"This was at the very edge of the battle field. What were they doing so far from the fight?" Bard asked as they walked over to the second body

Balin paused stooping down to pick something up off the ground. He frowned as he looked at the pices of the bow in his hands."this is no Orc bow"

"You think Rowan may have been here?" Bard asked looking at the broken weapon

"Its possible"

"What would she be doing all they way out here with these two orcs?" Bard asked as they reached the second orc

Balin frowned as he saw the large black bow in the orcs hand. He looked around them then paused.

"There." He said pointing across from them. From where they stood they could see Raven hill. "They were trying to kill Thorin"

Bard looked back at the orc nudging it with his foot. A speck of red caught his eye "Balin look" he said pointing to a few small drops of blood leading away from the body.

They followed the drops of blood, watching as they became closer and closer together, then smearing along the ground "They crawled from here" Bard said stooping down to look at the trail.

The two followed the trail in tense silence unsure of what they would find. The stopped as they came to the side of the hill.

"Oh lass" Balin breathed

In a shallow cave laid Rowan, curled up into a small ball against the wall of the cave.

Bard stooped down, gently pulling her out from the furrow, carefully laying her on the ground.

Her usually tanned skin was now ghostly pale, her eyes tightly shut.

Both men felt their hearts sink as they saw her blood soaked tunic, a long black arrow jetting out from her stomach.

"Is she..?" Bard asked

Balin looked her over watching her chest for movement. his heart sank further as he watched her still chest. He slowly leaned over her,carefully listening for any sign of life.

He waited as the tense seconds ticked by. Then he heard it- a Quiet shuttered breath escaped her lips.


	37. a long way to survive

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* * *

**"They say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes. They never tell you that when you watch someone you once loved dying, hovering between this life and the next, it's twice as painful, because you're reliving two lives that traveled one road together."**

**— Becca Fitzpatrick, Black Ice **

* * *

"Shes alive...but barely" Balin said quickly "We need to get her help now"

Bard nodded, carefully taking her in his arms.

They ran across the field as fast as they could, Bard trying not to jostle the young woman in his arms. He looked down at her as they ran, swore loudly, as he felt warm blood starting to seep through his fingers.

Finally they reached the main part of the field. In the distance Balin heard someone shouting his name. He could see some of the other groups running to them. He felt a pang of sadness as he saw Dwalin at the head of the group.

"Brother did you..."

He stopped when he saw the small bundle in Bards arms.

The bowman paused for a moment when Dwalin reached them, unsure of what to do, allowing Dwalin to catch a glimpse of Rowan.

"Mahal no..." he whispered hoarsely as he saw the arrow, blood still seeping through Bards fingers. She looked so small and fragile laying in the man's arms. Dwalin reached out to touch her his hand trembling, almost afraid she would break if he did "Please...is she..."

Balin shook his head "I..I dont know... Shes in a pretty bad way"

"Shes growing cold." Bard said quickly "Take her. you're stronger, you can get her there faster than I can"

Dwalin nodded, gently taking her in his arms before setting off running, Balin and Bard right behind him.

...

.

Elira sat on the Ground next to Kili, picking stray blades of dried grass out of the ground. Fili was inside the tent talking to Thorin, who had woken up a short while ago, filling him in on how the company had fared during the battle.

Elira's ears pricked up as she heard shouting.

Her heart soared "Do you think they found her" she asked Kili excitedly as she got to her feet.

Fili had heard the shouts too and rushed out of the tent . "Is it them?" he asked her anxiously

Elira was surprised when Thorin slowly emerged from the tent, leaning heavily against one of the poles.

"I think so!" she said happily

When the first of the party arrived back at the camp, they were greeted by a very distraught looking Bofur. "We need a healer now! Where is Gandalf?" he shouted looking at them frantically

"He...Hes not back yet... Whats going on!?" Elira asked, fear now replacing her excitement.

Bofur did not answer her, but she did not miss the brief look of pity he gave her before rushing off.

Fili could not stand it any longer. Quickly he ran to meet the incoming group on the outskirts of the camp, Kili and Elira following.

From up ahead Elira heard Fili yell, watching as he sank to his knees.

Elira gasped when she saw them. There in Dwalin's arms lay Rowan. her body limp in the dwarfs grasp, her pale skin caked with dirt and blood.

She felt her heart clench as she saw the arrow embedded in her friends stomach.

"Rowan!" She called. she knew it was pointless, but part of her wanted to believe that this was a joke, that Rowan was just asleep, that she would wake up and chew her out for leaving the overlook. "Rowan please..." she called, tears running down her cheeks as Dwalin hurried past her.

She watched as a tall elf appeared along with Gandalf and Thranduil, who took Rowan from Dwalin's arms, carrying her into one of the tents.

"Rowan!"

Elira looked over to see Fili struggling to get to the tent as Bofur and Biffer held him back

"Lad theres nothing you can do now... You can't go in there"

She could see tears starting to form in his eyes as he looked at the tent.

Elira jumped as he suddenly lashed out, knocking over a small table that stood near by with a loud frustrated yell before storming off.

"Fili wait.." Kili call after his brother

Thorin shook his head, placing a hand on Kili's shoulder "let him go" he said gently.

Elira slowly sank to the ground. Nearby she could see Dwalin trying to wipe the blood off of his hands with a small rag Balin handed him. The older dwarf put his hand on his shoulder speaking quietly to him. Dwalin shrugged him off growling at him in Khuzdul. Elira looked up as Balin shouted at him, a pained look on his face. Dwalin shouted back to him in kind, his voice beginning to break. The old dwarfs face softened. Gently he placed a hand on his brothers shoulder, whispering to him as he led him aside, leaving the rest to sit in silence.

Elira hiccupped, not bothering to wipe away the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

She didn't look up as Kili came over, sitting down next to her wordlessly.

He pulled her close, running his hand in soothing circles along her back

"She promised... she promised me she wouldn't leave me" Elira sobbed quietly.

...

.

Rowan had never given much thought on death, despite having been sure that she was going to die on several occasions throughout the quest.

If anything she had been expecting at least a white light or angels when she woke up again, but instead when she opened her eyes she found herself in a large open field. slowly she sat up looking around her- a pale grey-blue sunless sky hung over head, yet the field was bathed in warm light. As she looked further, she could see in the distance a large clear river cutting through the field on a seemingly endless path.

"Hello? Fili?... Eli?...Dwalin?... anybody?" she called out looking around the empty field

"Hello"

Rowan jumped and spun around at the voice

She stood frozen for a moment, letting her mind catch up to what she saw.

A large man burly looking man and a petite dark haired woman stood arm in arm watching her.

Rowan took a step towards them warily

"Mom... Dad?" she asked tentatively stretching a shaking hand out towards them, looking at the faces that had been in her locket for years.

They smiled at her broadly. "We have waited so long to meet you my love" The woman said taking Rowans hand in hers, Cupping Rowans cheek with the other.

"How... how are you here?" She asked looking at them both "...Am I... am I dead?" she added quietly

Her father smiled sadly at her "Yes and no..."

"What?"

"You are in the vale of life and death. caught between the two..."

Her father gestured to the river behind her. Rowan frowned as she turned- The river was closer than before.

"On the other side of this is the halls of our fathers"

As she watched Rowan could see the vague shadowy outlines of people gathering along the opposite shore of the river.

"Are they..?"

"Your family" Her father finished

"So I can meet them?" Rowan asked excitedly as she took a step towards the river

Her mother stopped her, grabbed her by the wrist

"No my love. If you cross the river you can never return to the world of the living"

"But its ok though...I'll be with all of you guys..." Rowan said quietly looking back at the river

Her father knelt down ,clasping his hands on her shoulders, shaking his head slowly "There is still so much more for you to do in life... It is not your time to go"

She bit her lip "But I want to stay with you guys" she said. Looking back -the river was even closer now.

Her mother hugged her "I know you do, but you cannot linger here. The longer you stay the closer to death you will become"

When she released her, Rowan looked at her father. He smiled down at her before pulling her into his arms.

"Im so proud of you my light." He whispered "you have faced so much and come out the stronger"

She looked over again at the river which was only a few feet from where they stood now.

"Will it hurt?" she asked them "Going back?"

"Im sorry my love, you have been through so much already" her mother said sadly "but you must fight through it. Think of the reason you have to live."

Rowan's hand absentmindedly trailed up to the braid in her hair.

"You have found someone.." Her mother said happily

"Yes.."

"Do you love him?"

Rowan smiled "More than I ever thought possible"

She looked at them both "Will you stay with me until I go?" She asked, letting out a small whimper as pin pricks of pain began to spread over her body

"Of course"

"Until the end"

The river was further away now. Rowan cried out as pain began to spring up all over her body.

She could barely see the river now. She dropped to the ground, screaming as the pain seared through her body cutting through her down to her bones.

"Good bye my love" "Goodbye my light" she heard her parents say, looking at them one last time before she squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, screaming as it intensified.

"Mom Dad come back!"

...

.

Elira flinched as a loud scream erupted from the tent. She clapped her hands over her ears, burying her head in Kili's chest, unable to bear hearing her friends cries.

It went on for hours more less the same. The screams and whimpers coming from the tent were the only things alerting them to Rowan's brief moments of consciousness.

..

"Mom.. dad...please come back" Rowan whimpered

Gandalf looked at the young woman on the bed, beads of sweat forming on her brow.

"There is not much more we can do Mithrandir. she is so close to the vail" Thranduil said shaking his head "This is beyond my skill to heal"

"She needs Lord Elrond"

Thranduil scoffed "she'd never make that journey it's too long"

"Get her as stable as you can. I shall handle the rest" he said as a small moth came to rest of his staff.

...

The company looked up as Gandalf exited the tent

"How is she?" Fili asked

Gandalf shook his head "I'm afraid she will not make it in her current state . Our only chance is to take her to Lord Elrond"

"Will she be able to be on horseback in her condition?" Balin asked

The wizard shook his head "I do plan on taking her by horseback. It is far too slow. I have asked the Lord of the eagles for help in this matter. In the mean time Thranduil will stabilize her the best he can"

...

.

Elira watched as Gandalf emerged from the tent followed by Thranduil and another elf who carried Rowan on a small stretcher, her face marred by bruises and cuts. The company quietly followed after them to the open plane where a single eagle. As gandalf spoke briefly to the eagle, Elira saw Fili lean over Rowan, giving her a brief kiss before helping Thranduil and the elf hand her to Gandalf.

"I will send word when I have news" the wizard promised.

They watched as the eagles spread its great wings, kicking up a cloud of dust as it took to the sky.

"Please... come back to us... come back home"


	38. A long way to lose

**_Were so close to the end I cant believe it! I've been drafting and redrafting these last few chapters trying to get it right._**

**_Savarra: Dun dun dunn I guess well find out._**

**_Guest: These next few chapters are going to really be a struggle for Elira so watch out! _**

* * *

In the Weeks following Rowan's departure Elira tried to keep her self as busy as possible. There was plenty to do as the restoration of the mountain began. Dwarfs from the Iron hills had come to help re build and with in the first few weeks the mountain was already starting to look better.

It was three weeks before Gandalf's first letter arrived. A large grey falcon arrived in the early hours of the morning, a letter tied to its leg.

The company gathered at breakfast to read it. It was a short letter, only a few lines long, in which Gandalf said that Rowan was alive though still badly hurt, But the healers were hopeful.

..

Elira had begun to help out with Oin, organizing the healers rooms jotting down the names of herbs as he listed them off the shelves.

Kili had been spending a lot of time with her lately, dividing his time between her and Fili.

She had barely seen the older brother in the last few weeks, He mostly kept to himself, helping Thorin oversee the restoration.

Thorin was back to himself it seemed. After Rowan had left he had apologized to Elira and Bilbo asking for their forgiveness.

Bilbo too seemed to be his cheery self again. He had decided to stay in Erebor for a while, Thorin had made him head of agriculture for the mountain, giving him the momentous task of making things grow once more from the dragon ravaged soil.

"My mother should be returning soon" Kili said one morning at breakfast

Elira choked on her drink. She had known that eventually she would meet Thorin's sister, but the thought of actually doing so made her stomach twist. For the most part so far most of the dwarfs in the mountain had accepted her and her relationship with Kili, especially after word about her part in the battle got around. But Thorin had warned them that not all dwarfs would be so accepting and for them both to prepare for it.

"What is she like" Elira asked

"Oh you'll love her" Kili said, his mouth half full "Strongest woman I know my mum"

"Aye that she is" Fili said coming to the table. He cuffed his brother on the head "Your a prince, not a wild man. don't talk with your mouth full"

"Sorry"Kili mumbled through the food

"Shes a good woman" Fili continued as Kili chewed "Kind, caring, But an Iron will"

"Shes got a temper that can outmatch Uncle"Kili laughed

"Do you think she'll approve of..."she motioned to her pointed ears

"mums the more level headed of the family" Kili said with a laugh "She won't hate ya just cus of your heritage. Just be your self and she'll love ya. It convinced the rest of us"

...

.

ALmost a months had passed before the next letter came.

Thorin called the company into what had become their council room to read the letter.

_Thorin and company._

_I am pleased to report that Rowan has stabilized enough for me to be able to leave. Thought her wounds are healing rather slowly, her breathing has become stronger and she has briefly regained consciousness a few times, though only for a few moments. I will take this time to return to Erebor and escort Bilbo back to the shire._

_,Gandalf_

Bilbo seemed pleased by the Wizard's announcement. He had been planning on returning to the shire briefly to make arrangements for the care of his house while he would be away, and was anxious to get back.

Elira was excited for the wizards arrival because it meant she could get a full update on Rowan.

..

A week later He arrived.

In the early hours of the morning Elira woke to someone knocking on her door.

"Elira...Elira" Kili called from the other side of the door

"Kili?"she mumbled

"Oh good you're awake." he said opening the door and peeking his head in "Gandalfs back!"

She tumbled out of bed, throwing on the nearest dress and wrapped her shawl over her shoulders before throwing open the door.

Kili stood in the doorway, his hair rumpled still from sleep wearing only a tunic and trousers.

"Good morning to you" he said kissing her on the cheek before taking her hand and leading her out to the meeting room.

The rest of the company was in the room already, Fili pestering Gandalf with questions.

"Ah good you're all here. Now then I haven't much time to stay"

"How is she?" Fili asked impatiently

Gandalf sighed "She is doing as well as can be hoped for. The arrow caused her to bleed internally and damaged several internal structures. She was also stabbed in the far side of her chest which his hindering her breathing for now, and cracked a few ribs. It was fortunate you found her when you did, a bit longer and she would have been beyond our aid."

"But she'll be alright now right?" Elira asked

Gandalf smiled at her "I believe so yes. though it will take time"

Gandalf left soon after with Bilbo. The little hobbit frowning as he attempted to steer his pony after Gandalf.

..

..

Elira sighed as she struggled up the tall ladder, trying to keep the tall stack of books in her hand steady. "What about this one?" she called down to Ori. The young dwarf squinted at the cover before checking his notes.

"Yes that can go with the other history texts he nodded as Elira pushed the book into place on the shelf

"You know his would be so much easier if most of these titles weren't in dwarvish" Elira sighed as she showed the next book to him.

"Well once we finish sorting through the dwarvish texts, then we can move on to the foreign texts. most of those are in westerin"

They both looked up as a guard knocked on the library door

"My lady the King has requested your presence in the private dining room"

Elira nodded closing the book she had been looking at, handing it to Ori

"I'll be back to help later" she promised as she followed the guard out

They stopped in front of one of the private meeting rooms. When she opened the doors to the room she was surprised to see Balin, Dwalin,Gloin, Kili and Fili along with Thorin.

They turned to her as she entered "AH there you are" Kili said enthusiastically, coming over and taking her hand, leading her towards the table

"Elira I would like you to meet my mother, Dis"

As he spoke Elira saw a dark haired woman dressed in nice traveling cloths stepping from beside Thorin.

Elira pulled Kili closer as they neared the group "Why didnt you tell me your mother was here" She hissed in his ear, trying to still keep the smile on her face

"Because I knew if I told you, you would spend the whole day worrying" he shrugged

"For good reason" She whispered harshly

"Just relax, you'll be fine" he said gently as they reached the company.

She looked at the woman as they approached. She had long dark hair like Thorins, and deep kind brown eyes that reminded her of Kili's eyes. A line of dark facial hair ran along her jawline accenting her high cheekbones.

"Its an honor to meet you Lady Dis" Elira said giving an awkward curtsey

Elira stood rooted in place as Dis looked her over a moment. She held her breath as Dis stopped in front of her She was caught off guard as the older woman broke out in a broad smile, pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

"Please my dear, you have spent the last months helping my thick skull brother on this quest, You can just call me Dis." she grinned

"Thank you Lad...I mean Dis"

"Thorin was just telling me of the quest. Quite the adventure from what I've heard"

Elira nodded, feeling her anxiety beginning to dissipate

"Good. I'd like to hear of it from a womans perspective. Would you be interested in telling me the tale over dinner.. perhaps tonight?" Dis asked

"Of course" Elira said happily.

..

The next week went by smoothly. Elira was impressed at how much progress had been made in just a few months. More dwarfs arrived every day slowly starting to make their home in the mountain.

Elira had spent more time with Dis throughout the week. The two had become close in their time together. It was nice to have another woman in the mountain Elira thought. Dis turned out to be a lot like her family. She was strong and a leader like Thorin, but was light hearted and thoughtful like Kili and Fili.

She told her stories of Fili and Kili as children and Growing up with Thorin, while Elira told her about how she and Rowan came to middle earth and how they met the company.

Elira was busier than ever now. Thorin had decided it was time for her to begin learning about dwarvish culture and language. Twice a week she had lessons with Ori and Balin, learning to read and write Khuzdûl and dwarfish history.

Though she had picked up a few words and phrases during the quest, Learning the full language proved to be a challenge for her.

Along with the language and history lessons, Elira also met with Dis once a week to learn about royal life. She learned about court life and what would be expected from her once Erebor was fully restored. These lessons came as a welcome change from the hours spent stuck in the library with a stack of books in front of her.

..

She was having lunch with Kili one afternoon when they heard someone shouting outside the door. Bofur came stumbling into the room, his hat askew. "Bilbo's back, he's approaching the outer gates now!"

They both followed Bofur to the overlook where Thorin, Fili, Balin, Gloin , and Ori were watching a small group of horses approach.

"Are you sure its Bilbo" She asked "Who are those other men?"

"We don't know" Balin said "But it would seem were about to find out"

They met Bilbo just inside the outer gates. The hobbit jumped off his pony followed by two men. They were dressed in well worn traveling cloths and tattered thick cloakes. Elira noticed they both carried swords and bows with them.

"Bilbo lad how was your journey?" Balin asked

"Good.. good yess..had to deal with the Sackville Bagginses... selling all of my furniture they were. But after that all was well- Hamfast Gamgee will watch bagend while I'm away"

"Good good"

"And who are these men?" Thorin asked crossing his arms over his chest

The two men gave short bows "I am Gideon and this is Ealan. We are Rangers of the north"

"Rangers? and why are rangers traveling with a hobbit? and why is Gandalf not with you" Thorin asked

"I can explain" Bilbo said quickly "Gandalf was with me in the Shire, up until a few days before I left. He had planned on escorting me back to Erebor himself but then suddenly he received a letter and said he had to leave. He sent Gideon and Ealan to escort me in his place. " He smiled at the rangers who smiled back at him.

"Did he say why he had to leave?"

Bilbo shook his head "No he only stayed long enough to introduce me to them then left"

...

.

Gideon and Ealan left early the next morning, saying goodbye to Bilbo before riding off through the gate.

Bilbo told Elira of his journey over the next few days. He was already making up plans for the crops to plant for spring. The sun had begun to shine brightly as the weather began to finally warm.

Four days after Bilbo's return, another letter arrived.

The company waited anxiously as Thorin opened the letter.

_Thorin and company._

_I would first like to apologize to Bilbo for my abrupt departure. I trust though that Gideon and Ealan have brought you safely through your journey._

_This brings me to the reason for my leaving you. I wish it was on happier accord that I send word to you. Shortly after our arrival to the shire, __I recieved a message from Lord Elrond that I was needed back in Rivendell urgently, as Rowan's condition had deteriorated during my absence._

_Upon my arrival I learned of the extent of the damage. They tell me that a few days prior she had begun to run a fever, her old wounds refused to heal any further and had reopen and begun to bleed once more. The cause of this could not be found. When I arrived she had fallen back nearly to the state she had come to Rivendell in._

_We searched for the cause for many days before we found the source. A deep black vein was branching from her stomach nearly to her heart. It was then we realized the cause. The arrow that struck her was a morgul arrow. A piece of the tip had broken off inside of her when it was removed. It was so small the effects were hidden at first- it was reason her wounds would not heal very much. Slowly working its way to her heart. _

_We must try to remove it before it reaches her heart. But I fear we may be too late _

_I am truly sorry._

_I will send word when I have some._

_, Gandalf_

No one spoke as Thorin finished the letter, clenching the paper in his fist.

Fili rose silently, leaving the room without a word.

"Elira?" Kili asked looking at her worriedly

Elira said nothing but turned and hurried out of the room wiping away the tears from her eyes. She had been so hopeful with this letter. just a few weeks ago Rowan was on the mend, and now...

She didn't want to think about it anymore.

She sat up in her room for the rest of the day, ignoring the knocks on her door. She didn't want to be around the company, She didn't want to see the looks of pity on their faces...she didn't want any of this to be real.

...

.

It had been over a week since Gandalf's last letter.

The company had not seen much Elira or Fili since their last meeting. Only Kili Thorin and Dis had seen Fili since then. The elder brother had taken to locking himself in his room, only opening the door for the occasional meal with one of his family members. It pained Kili to watch his brother wall himself in. During the brief times when Fili allowed him into the room, his brother would only sit there quietly, his bloodshot eyes staring off into the the days wore on he began to look more hollow, the light gone from his eyes. Late at night when he thought everyone was asleep, Kili could hear him crying from the next room over. Every morning Kili would go and check on him, most of the time he would find Fili laying in his bed, or slumped in a chair fiddling with the small braid in his hair. Their mother spent most of her time with him now. Sitting in the room with him quietly sewing or trying to coax him into talking.

As the days wore on Kili became even more concern about Elira. Bombur said that her meals had gone almost untouched, just small bites taken out of some. He, Bilbo, and Ori had tried to cox her out of her room occasionally but to no avail. After three days he finally decided to check in on her whether she wanted him to or not. He knocked on the door expecting her to tell him to go away, but he didn't hear anything. He slowly opened the door, peeking inside. Elira sat on the floor propped up against the bed asleep. His heart sank as he saw her. She looked thin and sick. her eyes were puffy and there were tear tracts along her hollow cheeks. The night dress she wore seemed too big for her now.

He bent down closer to look at the piece of paper she had in her hand. Slowly he pulled it out to look at it.

It was a portrait of Elira and Rowan together during the quest, laughing as they sat next to each other on a log. Kili recognized the signature at the bottom of the page - Ori.

_...Flashback..._

_"miss Elira?" a quiet voice called from behind the door_

_"please Ori not now" she said still curled up on the bed._

_"I have something for you" he said after a moment_

_"I'm not hungry..."_

_"Its not that...please?"_

_With a sigh she slowly uncurled off the bed, opening the door part way_

_Ori stood in the doorway, a small roll of bread in his hands and his sketch book. _

_he handed her the roll _

_"I'm not hungry" Elira said flatly_

_"Well if you eat that I'll give you what I have for you" He said timidly_

_Elira was surprised at him. 'they must be really desperate if they're using him to bribe me into eating' she thought._

_"And what do u have?" she asked impatiently, wanting him to leave_

_"Umm...take a bit and I'll show you..."_

_she sighed taking a small bite of the roll. _

_Ori smiled at her. He opened his sketch book and pulled out a page showing it to her._

_Elira swallowed the food in her mouth thickly, feeling a lump forming in her throat._

_There on the page was Rowan seated alongside Elira, the both of them laughing. She stared at the page-it was the first time she had seen anything of Rowan since she had left._

_"I drew these on the quest" Ori said flipping through some of the other drawings in the book. " I figured you'd like to have this one...I sent another one with Gandalf... back to Rivendell ...I thought Rowan would like it when she woke up"_

_Elira stared at the dwarf for a moment, her eyes filling with tears. There was something about his optimism that made her feel a bit better._

_"Thank you Ori" she said _

_He looked at the roll "Please" he said_

_She nodded taking a few more bites before he handed her the drawing. _

_She thanked him again before closing the door finishing the last bite of bread as she did. She slumped down next to the bed tiredly, leaning back against it looking at the picture in her hands. She felt fresh tears beginning to fall down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away._

_"you promised..." she whispered hugging her knees to her chest._

_..._

"I guess Ori was successful" Kili sighed placing the picture on the nightstand. He scooped Elira up in his arms, placing her under the covers of the bed before pulling them over her. He kissed her on the forehead before quietly tip toeing back out of the room.


	39. A long way to Recover

_**Hey guys so Im updating today instead of saturday dure to work, and the next update probably won't be until after tuesday**_

_**Obi-wan's girl forever- No don't cry! Things are gona start looking up!**_

_**Athena Silverwolf- They do need some good news and soon!**_

_**Savarra- I didn't understand most of that but I'm glad you liked it**_

* * *

When she wasn't in her room, Elira spent the rest of her time up on the ravens watch, looking out at the sky, watching for the hawk.

As the days passed she spent more and more time up there. Some nights when she could not sleep, she would go onto the watch and look out at the night sky, watching the stars until she fell asleep.

One morning she was out on the Ravens watch, looking out into the valley, a small cup of tea in her hands.

"I guess misery truly does love company" .

Elira jumped , startled by the voice. She turned to see Fili standing in the doorway.

"Can I...?' he asked uncertainly

Elira nodded as he walked over, sitting down next to her.

She looked him as he sat down, she had not seen Fili since the letter. He looked tired; His eyes were bloodshot and glassy. His ever present grin was missing,now replaced with a small frown. He looked empty she thought.

Neither of them spoke for a while as they listened to the birds chirping down below.

"How are you?" Fili asked, his voice hoarse.

"I'm..." Elira paused ,not knowing how to answer

"I'm...here" she finished lamely

Fili nodded as if he understood what she meant.

"My brother says you are not eating" Fili said looking at her "you have him worried"

Elira shrugged "I'm not hungry" she said quietly looking down at her cup.

Fili chuckled a bit "I tried that one with Dis. she said she would force food down if she had to"

Elira gave a small smile.

"You need to eat... she...she wouldn't want you to do this to your self" Fili said seriously

"How would you know what she would want!" Elira snapped, surprised at the agitation in her voice.

Fili sighed

"Because you're her sister and she cares about you. She wouldn't want you to let your self waste away just because she's not here... I know If something happened to me I would want Kili to take care of himself."

Elira was quiet for a while running her thumb around the rim of the cup "I don't know what to do without her... Shes been with me my whole life...and now..."

"I know" Fili said quietly "Its hard for me to even get up anymore...It...It feel like theres a part of me missing...We just have to be strong-for her"

Elira could see the tears in his eyes as he spoke. She wondered if like her, this was the first time he had talked about Rowan since the letter.

...

.

.

Rowan felt like she was under water. She could feel the pressure building in her chest as her lungs began to burn. She struggled, trying to escape the pressure around her Finally she broke through the surface, gasping for air as she did.

When she opened her eyes, light flooded in around her. She quickly closed them again, reaching a hand up to cover her eyes. She hissed as she felt pain shoot through her arm.

"Please lie still. You're still very weak" A woman's voice said as she felt small hands gently push her back down.

When she opened her eyes again, she could see a tall blond haired elf smiling down at her.

"mmmhh ...Where am I?" she groaned trying to sit up again, only to feel the hands push her back down.

"You are safe. You are in the house of healing in Rivendell."

"Rivendell?" she asked, surprised at how dry and rough her own voice sounded.

"Here drink" the elf said offering her a cup of water, tipping it to her lips

She coughed at first as the cool water passed through her lips before finally managing to take a few sips. After she finished the elf placed the cup back on the nightstand "I will go send for Lord Elrond" she said as she stepped from the room, speaking to someone Rowan couldn't see before returning to the room.

"Would you like to try to sit up?" She asked

Rowan nodded. She flinched as she felt pain as she slowly sat up. She looked down at the bandages covering her body. Her torso as well as her forearm was covered in white bandages.

"I am Amrynn. one of the healers" the elf said

"Oh uh hello..." Rowan said

"Umm Amrynn...what happened to me?" She asked slowly as she looked at the bandages again.

"A great deal my dear"

Rowan looked up to see Gandalf and Elrond coming through the door

"Gandalf?" She asked trying to sit up more.

the old wizard smiled at her "It is good to see you awake my dear"

"Gandalf what happened? why am I here? ... where... where are the others?" she questioned, feeling panic beginning to set in.

"Calm down my dear. everyone is alright." Gandalf soothed putting a hand on her shoulder "You were very badly injured when we found you... I took you here and Thanks to Lord Elrond we were able to save you."

"The arrow..." she said quietly "Thorin is he..."

Gandalf shook his head "He is alive and well ,thanks to you... That arrow nearly killed you. You are one of a very few people to survive being shot with a morgul arrow."

Rowan frowned "whats a morgul arrow?"

"It is a powerful poisoned weapon" Elrond answered " a piece of the head broke off when it was removed, slowly poisoning your body. Any closer to your heart and you would have been beyond help."

Rowan looked down at her chest. through the thin white night gown she could see a dark vein jetting out from the bandages around her stomach.

"it was touch and go for many days but we were finally able to stops its progression."

Rowan's frown deepened "days... Gandalf how long have I been asleep?"

Amrynn, Elrond and Gandalf exchanged glances.

"What?" Rowan asked

"We'll my dear you were unconscious for a long time when you first arrived, and the arrow's poison kept you asleep even longer..."

"so what like a week?"

Gandalf cleared his throat "It has been almost four months since you arrived in Rivendell"

Rowan choked "Four months? I've been unconscious for four months?! How is that possible?"

"Well there were brief times that you woke up before the poison set in..."

...

After she recovered from the initial shock, Gandalf filled her in on what had happened over the last four months.

By the end of the first week she was awake, Rowan had begun to grow restless. Thera had come to visit her that morning and helped her bathe,and had stayed to chat with her for a while, but by the afternoon Rowan had grown bored again.

Slowly she eased herself out of the bed, leaning heavily on the crunch Thera had brought with her to help her out of bed earlier. Rowan poked her head out the door looking around before quietly slipping out of the room. The late day sun bathed the halls in light as Rowan wandered around the city for a short while, but soon she began to feel weak again, a bit of pain pricking at her side. She stopped slumping against the garden wall, trying to catch her breath.

"My my...this is a surprising sight...A human." A smooth voice drawled.

Rowan looked over to see a tall Blond haired elf sitting on top of the garden wall, looking down at her over his book.

"I thought all were welcome here to seek refuge" Rowan said flatly

The elf smiled at her, setting his book aside.

"They are, though it is still uncommon" he studied her for a moment before hopping down from the wall "You must be that girl they brought here a while back" he said smiling

She nodded "I'm Rowan"

The elf bowed "Its a pleasure to meet you. I am Glorfindel"

"From what I heard, you had only woken up a few days ago... I find it hard to believe that Lord Elrond is allowing you to wander about so soon" He said leaning down raising an eyebrow at her.

Rowan shifted under the elf's gaze "Well... not exactly. Its just a little walk... Im going mad laid up in bed all day."

"I thought as much" Glorfindel smirked

"So are you going to tell on me?" Rowan asked folding her arms over her chest.

He studied her for a moment "No... I don't think I shall. But I will offer you a deal..."

Rowan raised her eyebrows "What kind of deal?"

"I know first hand how droll those healing rooms can be. So how about this- If you don't go on any more 'little adventures' from now until next week, I will take you with me when I go out to exercise my horse then."

Rowan felt like a little kid, getting excited over the offer to go on a horse ride, but after spending four months asleep, any activity seemed like a big deal.

"Agreed"

"Good. now then lets get you back to your room before everyone comes back from their meal"

..

The next week and a half passed slowly for Rowan. She spent most of her time eating or resting. Thera came to visit her almost every day, telling Rowan stories from her childhood and asking questions about the quest.

Gandalf and Elrond would visit her as well, tell her what news he had heard about the mountain and the company or bring her books to read from the library

"with any luck you should be able to go home soon" Gandalf said one day as Rowan ate lunch.

She stopped eating, nauseated feeling washing over her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked

Rowan shook her head "No im fine" she said putting on a smile.

"well Ill leave you to rest." He said taking her empty tray with him.

She lay there for a while staring at the ceiling. She had been so focused on her recovery, that she had almost forgotten what had happened back at the mountain.

She looked up as Thera walked in.

"Hello Thera" Rowan said giving her a smile

"Good afternoon" She said cheerily "Do you need help getting to the bath today?"

Rowan shook her head "No I think I can manage. But there is something I would like..."

"Of course"

"A razor and some scissors please?"

Thera seemed caught off guard by the request but simply nodded and left as Rowan slipped into the bath.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door and Thera came in and set a leather roll on the bath counter. "I'll be in the next room if you need" me she said.

Rowan thanked her and waited till she shut the door before unrolling the pouch and pulling out the razor. She shaved her legs and underarms, running her hands happily over the smooth skin. after she finished, Thera helped her wash her hair before leaving to go get a change of cloths for her.

When She got out of the tub, Rowan wrapped the towel around herself and sat down in front of the vanity. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tracing her fingers over the bruises that still littered her skin.

She looked at her face carefully. Her skin was very slowly regaining its color. She ran her fingers along the small peach fuzz along her jawline. Slowly she raised the razor to her cheek, dragging it carefully down the side of her face, then the other side. She took the scissors and trimmed back her hair, which had grown substantially since the quest had started. When she had finished it hung a few inches past her shoulders. She looked in the mirror, satisfied with her work as she heard Thera knock at the door. When she entered she paused looking at the hair on the floor and the razor on the table.

"I thought it was dishonorable to cut facial hair in dwarven culture..." she asked carefully

Rowan shrugged "I'm not really a dwarf now am I?"

She was relieved when Thera did not press the issue further.

"I have some fresh clothes for you. Lord Glorfindel spoke with Lord Elrond this morning, and he has agreed to let him take you with him today on a ride"

Rowan smiled excitedly as Thera helped her dress. She wrapped a thick shawl around her shoulders before leading her out of the room

"He said he will meet you at the stables" Thera said guiding Rowan down through the main building and out to the gardens.

When they reached the stables Gandalf and Elrond were standing near by talking to Glorfindel.

When they saw Thera and Rowan they waved, calling them over.

"Ah Rowan how are you feeling my..." Gandalf started but paused as he looked at her

"What?" Rowan asked

"Nothing" he said

"Are you ready?" Glorfindel asked her leading out a tall white mare.

Rowan nodded climbing up the small step stool Glorfindel set down for her, slowly mounting the horse.

Glorfindel climbed on behind her grabbing the reins

"Be careful" Elrond warned "Not to fast. and be back by dinner, I want to check her stitches tonight"

Glorfindel nodded, nudging the horse forward. Rowan could see a few other elves taking their horses out as well further ahead of them.

She was excited to feel the wind rushing around her as they rode.

They talked for a while, Rowan listened intently as he told her stories of the adventures he had gone on and the lands he had seen.

"Why did you do it?" He asked after a while

"Do what?" Rowan asked confused

He looked at her intently. She touched the side of her face self consciously

"Dwarfs take great pride in their beards. Why would you destroy the remnants of your heritage."

Rowan sighed "Because I want to blend in once I leave Rivendell."

"Blend in where?"

She shrugged "I've been looking at some of the maps Thera has been showing me... Maybe Rohan or Gondor?"

Glorfindel looked down at her "You mean not to return to the mountain?"

"Im not welcome back at the mountain" She said quietly "Thorin banished me"

Glorfindel slowed the horse as they returned to the stables, helping Rowan dismount.

"You saved his life from what they tell me... do you not think that would earn you back into his graces"

"Even if I wasn't exiled... I dont know if I would" she murmured

"Why is that?"

"I tried to kill him... back up on the mountain. When he attacked Bilbo and Elira. He dropped his sword but if Eli hadn't stopped me...I probably would have done it" she said quietly as they walked

Glorfindel's face softened "Dwarfs are an intriguing race; stubborn and loyal to a fault. They are drawn to treasure. Some guard their treasure with incredible ferocity, in some cases driving them insane..."

"Like Thorin?" Rowan asked

He nodded "Yes just like Thorin. But you Rowan you are quite unusual for a dwarf..."

She snorted "So I've heard"

"I do not think you value gold or gems like most dwarfs...I believe you treasure people...friends and family. So when Thorin attacked your friends I think it was not you, but the desire to protect your 'treasure' that made you act how you did."

"you think that I have dragon sickness?" she frowned

"In a sense yes, though not to the degree of Thorin Oakenshield ...I do not think it was not out of malice that you acted, but out of loyalty to the ones you love" Glorfindel smiled "I have seen much evil in my time... senseless acts of cruelty and violence. Which is why I do not believe that you would not have killed were you not stopped, you do not have the heart of a murderer"


	40. A long way There

**_Hey guys! oh my gosh almost 80 followers! I cant believe it. You guys rock! _**

_._

* * *

A few days after her conversation with Fili, Elira finally ventured out of her room. Most of the time it would be small things, a meal with the company or a walk around the mountain with Kili, a lesson with Ori. But slowly she began socializing more and more. Sometimes she would even go to the companies council meetings with Thorin. Biffer and Bofur were head of the mines, Bombur the kitchens, Ori had become chief scribe, Gloin was head of the treasury, Dori was head of trade,Noir had declined becoming in charge of anything instead opting do do whatever he wished, Oin deaded up Erebor's healing rooms, Balin was Thorin's chief advisor, Dwalin had become head of the guard, and Elira had been named lead ambassador between Erebor and the elven lands. Generally the meetings consisted of each member filling Thorin in on the progress they had made in the restoration, but a few weeks after Elira had started to leave her chambers again, Thorin had a different topic to discuss.

"Now that People are returning to the mountain and Elira you're now out and about once more, I think its time for you and Kili to formally announce your courtship" Thorin said looking over at them.

Elira's eyebrows knitted together "I thought we already did, back in Rivendell during the quest?"

"Yes and you did.. to the company. What Thorin means to say is that it is time to formally announce your courtship to the people of Erebor" Balin explained

"And how do we do that?" Elira asked

"Thorin will call a general assembly of the people and announce it then most likely, a party too perhaps"

Thorin nodded " we should not wait too much longer though, I'm sure people have seen the both of you out together and will have questions"

..

.

Three days later Elira found herself in front of a large mirror, looking at the ornate dress Dis had picked out for her. Her hair was freshly washed and hung loose around her shoulders, displaying the newly redone courting braid in her hair.

"There now all finished" Dis said as she tied off the laces. "How are you feeling?"

Elira sighed "Nervous"

"What for?"

"What if they don't except me? What if they don't think i'm good enough for Kili?"

Dis put her hands on Eliras shoulders "Then their fools, the lot of em. You risked your life to help people you barely knew and reclaimed this mountain, something that they didn't dare to do. You have more right to be here than they do- never forget that"

...

Elira smiled as she saw Kili waiting alongside Thorin and Fili outside the back entrance to the great hall.

"You look stunning" Kili breathed as he saw her

She laughed "you don't look too bad your self"

They waited together as Thorin Dis and Fili entered the hall, drawing the attention of the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming. It is with great pride that I stand before you today to give this joyous announcement." he said as Kili and Elira joined him "Today marks the official announcement of my youngest nephew's courtship of princess Elira Leaflin of Lothlorien"

Elira squeezed Kili's hand tighter as the crowd began to murmur

"As many of you know Lady Leaflin was a member of my company during the quest and aided us in the battle of the mountain. She has proven herself to be loyal and great of heart, and I am sure she'll will make a fine addition to the line of Durin" Thorin finished giving Elira a brief smile

Much to her relief the crowd clapped when Thorin had finished his announcement.

"Now comes the hard part" Kili whispered to her

"Whats that?"

"Sitting through a royal feast" he grinned

...

Elira had noticed the sullen look on Fili's face throughout the party, as he sat next to her and kili at he lead table

He had left just as soon as the meal had finished, disappearing out from the hall.

"Whats wrong with Fili" Elira asked as she followed Dis back to the royal wing

"Its hard for him" Dis sighed "Generally the direct heir is the first to begin courting, and that's how it was going to according to Thorin, but then..." she trailed off

"Oh" Elira whispered

"Its not anything you've done dear" Dis said gently "He just needs time. Losing your one, well its something I would never wish upon anyone. When the boy's father passed it felt like my whole world had stopped. If it hadn't been for Thorin and the boys I don't know what I would have done...What he is dealing with is not something that can be fixed by rest or time"

...

Elira woke up late the next day, still feeling exhausted from the night before.

She was startled when Dis barged into her room, knocking on the door as she entered.

"Oh good you're up!" she said as she started pulling clothes out of the dresser.

Elira frowned "I don't mean to be rude but why are you going through my cloths?"

"You need to look your very best today" Dis said as she studied the two dresses in her hand

"Why?"

Dis paused to look at her "A council meeting has been called" she sighed "One to discuss the matter of Kili's courtship"

Elira's frown deepened "Discuss what about it exactly"

"The fact that you two should not marry" Dis sighed

She looked at her with wide eyes, panic beginning to well in her chest

"Calm down dear. The whole company will be there with ya" Dis said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder

Elira nodded, smoothing out the front of her gown.

..

By the time Elira and Dis had arrived at the hall, the rest of the company was already there. Elira followed Dis up to the head of the room where the company was seated, Dis taking a seat next to Thorin in the center, while Elira sat in between Fili and Kili. Across the room sat another, smaller table with four empty seats.

"Don't worry lass" Bofur said reassuringly "Some of the lords are just in a fit 'cus they thought they were gona get one of their pumped up daughters to marry the princes"

Elira's smile faded a bit as the doors to the hall opened as four large dwarfs sauntered in.

"Thats Burink Feudnson hes head of the lord's counsel from the Iron Hills" Kili whispered to her as he pointed to a plump grey haired dwarf dressed in long extravagant robes.

"Bit of a tosser really" Fili whispered, flinching as Dis cuffed him on the head

Burink stood as the other lords took their seats around him "Your majesty." he bowed

Thorin sighed "Lord Burink" he said thinly "You said you had good reason for calling this council"

"Indeed I do. It is in the lords opinion that the courtship of your nephew prince Kili and the elf " he said seeming to recoil as he said the word "Should be disbanded"

Elira felt Kili squeeze her hand reassuringly

"On what grounds" Thorin asked irritably

"The marriage of the two and any subsequent offspring would taint the proud lineage of the line of Durin" Burink said assuredly as they other Lords voiced their agreement

"She is a princess in her own right" Thorin said " therefore their children would still be of royal blood"

"It is a matter of honor!" Burink said emphatically "We could have possibly overlooked this matter, but it has come to our attention that your other nephew is involved with someone as well"

Elira saw Fili tense beside her

"Yes he is." Thorin said raising an eyebrow "We are waiting until her return to announce their courtship. I fail to see your issue"

"According to what we have heard she is not a dwarf also"

Thorin sighed "She is half human half dwarf, a noble dwarven blood line flows through her veins. I still fail to see your concern "

"Our concern" Burink said placing his hands on the desk "Is that while we can make due with one heir having a.. shall we say 'ill advisable' courtship.., To have both of the heirs to the throne be with such people would mean tainting the blood of the future kings of this mountain!"

Elira could feel the atmosphere at the table changing, the company was no longer relaxed and light hearted, most of them were watching the lords with narrowed eyes, their posture rigid. Dwalin looked ready to make a grab for Burnick ,and judging from Kili and Fili's expressions they would join him.

"What would you have us do then?" Thorin asked, the anger in his voice thinly veiled as he spoke "My nephews have made their choices"

Burnick, who appeared oblivious to the anger growing at the table across from him, smiled "Well there are a few solutions that we have to propose. We would be fine if one of your nephews opted out of the courtship and instead married someone of full dwarves heritage, allowing their children to become the heirs to the throne." he sighed "Or if they are too set in their..er.. indiscretions, then allow a proxy to be arranged to bare the children instead..."

"My brother and I will not bear our children through another woman!" Kili growled

"Nor will one of us chose another to court" Fili added, slamming his hands on the table

"There is no other choice here. We cannot allow such dishonorable blood to taint this lands monarchy!" Burnick said flatly folding his arms over his chest "Dwarves are a proud, noble, honorable people, to allow such a thing would be..."

"Enough!" Elira snapped as she stood from her seat "I will not stand here while you insult myself and Rowan like this!"

Burnick scoffed "I say nothing that is not true. Your people are nothing but untrustworthy cowards and as for the other, she is a disgrace-a misbegotten bastard of our race!"

The room was dead silent.

Dwalin was the first to jump to his feet, followed by Kili, Fili, Gloin and Bofur, all shouting. Through she couldn't understand all of what they were saying, she recognized some of the words as four letter ones she had heard Rowan use before.

"Stop!" She shouted

The company looked at her in confusion "let me" she said shaking her head.

Slowly they sat back down.

She turned back to Burnick, Squaring her shoulders fixing him with a hard look "How dare you speak in such a manner. You forget your place Lord Burnick, I am the crown princess of Lothlorien and you would do well to remember that when you speak next." she snapped, the corners of her mouth twitching as she saw him falter for a moment.

She raised an eyebrow at him "You'll have to forgive me lord Burnick but I don't recall seeing you on the quest?" she said calmly "You must have been staying at the back the whole time"

the dwarf frowned "I was not on the quest.. ..my lady"

Elira frowned "oh where were you then?"

"I was back in the iron hills"

"But why did you not answer the call of King Thorin?" she asked slyly

Burnick frowned "I had important matters to attend to"

Elira raised her eyebrows "Oh yes Im sure it was very important"

She heard Kili cough behind her as he tried to stifle a laugh

"And where did you fight in the battle? Were you part of Dains initial charge or perhaps were you in the second wave?"

the dwarf lord looked stricken "I fail to see why this is relevant"

"You will answer the question" Thorin ordered

"I did not fight in the battle" Burnick wrung his hands

"So not only did you refuse to join King Thorins quest to reclaim this mountain, but you also did not help protect it from being overrun by orcs" Elira mused "and yet you claim to only want to help keep this mountain safe...and that is why you stand opposed to this courtship"

"I only want what's best for the mountain" Burnick protested

"Then why did you not help to reclaim it or defend it?!" Elira snapped "You say that My friend and I are cowards, disloyal and bad for Erebor and yet it was us who joined a group of people we barely knew to help them take back their home from a dragon! It was us who fought to keep this mountain safe! It is my friend, who you say is a disgrace, is laying in a healers room dying because she fought to keep this mountain safe, to keep the line of Durin alive! And yet you have the nerve to come in here and try to say that you want whats best. You are nothing but a coward who was too scared to risk his life and let others do it instead, so you could reap the reward!"

The room was silent as Burnick opened and closed his mouth, searching for a rebuttal

"Lady Elira has a point Lord Burnick" Thorin drawled "Why did you not come to my aid on the quest or during the battle? In fact I seem to recall you not arriving back to Erebor until most of the repairs had been finished"

"My King I.." The dwarf stammered, all of his previous confidence seeming to leave him.

"I would suggest that you withdraw your opposition to my nephews' courtships, unless you want me to give more thought about how much you have failed to help this kingdom" Thorin deadpanned

"O..of course. I have nothing but the best wishes for their courtship" Burnick said bowing, before he turned on his heels and scuttled out of the room, the other lords following quickly behind him.

"That was brilliant" Kili said turning to look at Elira

"Aye lass I've never seen a Lord look so close to wetting himself" Gloin laughed

.

.

_A/N; Heck yah Elira shutting him down. I was excited about this chapter. I really wanted to show how much shes grown through out the quest. Shes definitely not the quiet passive person she used to be!_


	41. A long way back again

_**Oh my gosh guys were so close to the end only two more chapters to go I cant believe it!**_

* * *

"So today's the day"

Rowan looked up to see Glorfindel standing in the doorway of her room

she smiled "Amrynn thinks its still too soon for me to be traveling...but I need to go back..its been nearly five months since I've seen them"

"I understand. Home... well home is something that always draws you back"

"You should come with us" Rowan suggested "You could see the mountain, meet the company"

He smiled, shaking his head "I have many things I must attend to in the coming months..."

Rowan pouted

"But I will be expecting an invitation to the wedding. A royal wedding is not something to miss"

She smiled "You better or else I'll come looking I'm not one to trifle with you know"

Glorfindel laughed "so I have heard"

...

Rowan bowed to Lord Elrond as he approached.

"I wanted to thank you, For saving me and giving me refuge while I healed"

He smiled "As I told you many months ago, you are always welcome here in Rivendell Rowan Firebrand."

"Thank you"

She waved good bye to the elves that had gathered as she urged her horse forward, following after Gandalf as they left the elvin city.

...

The journey to Erebor was a lot smoother than her prior journey to the mountain.

They stayed in towns as often as they could, Amrynn tutting about how camping was not good for Rowans recovery.

Finwir, one of Elrond's guards also traveled with them. Rowan enjoyed talking to him as they rode, sometimes secretly teaching her bits of elvin sword play when Amrynn wasn't looking

Though the journey was not wracked with trouble like the quest had been, Rowan had begun to feel the wear on her body. Amrynn had insisted that she keep her head covered to stay warm, taking the shawl Thera had given Rowan and wrapping it over her head. She could feel her eye beginning to twitch as the elf constantly piled cloaks and blankets on her through the journey.

She sighed, pulling the shawl over her head more as they reached Lake town.

"We will stop here for tonight and make for the mountain tomorrow" Gandalf announced as they headed for the inn.

..

Rowan fidgeted with the reigns as they neared the front gate to the mountain.

"Halt!" the guard ordered from on top of the wall "What is your purpose"

"I am Gandalf the grey, I am here to see Thorin Oakenshield " Gandalf huffed

"The guard disappeared for a moment

"Gandalf?" a familiar voice called

Rowan felt her heart pick up as she heard Dwalin's voice

"Ah master Dwalin. Good to see you again"

"Do you bring news?" He asked anxiously leaning over the wall " is Rowan alright?"

The wizard smiled "Why don't you ask for yourself" he said gesturing behind him

The dwarfs eyes widened as Rowan pushed off her hood

"Lass" he breathed before disappearing from the wall.

The doors of the gate slowly opened as they rode forward into the courtyard

"Rowan!" Dwalin shouted, his voice breaking as he rushed to meet them.

Rowan struggled to dismount, quietly thanking Finwir as he helped her down.

"Dwalin!" she shouted happily as the burly dwarf reached her. She wrapped her arms around him as he stood watching her in shock

Slowly, he gently put his arms around her "Is it really you lass?" he asked softly, tears beginning to form in his eyes as he pulled back to look at her

Rowan grinned "In the flesh"

He pulled her back into his arms

"Not too tight master dwarf, she is still not fully healed" Amrynn tutted gently from behind them

"Where is everybody?" Rowan asked anxiously

Dwalin turned to one of the guards "Go and find the company and king Thorin- tell them there is an urgent meeting in the council chambers"

the guard nodded before trotting off into the mountain.

"How are you feeling?" Dwalin asked

Rowan smiled up t him "better than I've felt in a long time. Though according to Amrynn I would heal faster if I wasn't so impatient"

...

"It looks so different" Rowan murmured as they walked through the mountain. Amrynn and Finwir had politely decided to go see to the horses instead, while Gandalf, Rowan , and Dwalin went to see the company.

She ran her fingers along the walls, watching as a few dwarves past them.

"Aye its been long time" Dwalin said as he looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowing "you look troubled lass. what's wrong?"

Rowan shook her head "It...Its just been so long since I've seen them...What if... things have changed?"

His face softened "You mean Fili don't you?"

She picked at the bandage peeking through the neckline of her dress, drawing her shawl closer over her shoulders as they passed a group of dwarves "What if he's found someone else, now that there's other people around?... A real dwarf" she said finally saying what had been eating away at her since they had first left Rivendell.

Dwalin stopped walking and looked at her "You are a real dwarf, whole blood or no'. And as for Fili, the lad hasn't stopped waiting for you since the day you left. You're his one lass, He'll never love anyone more than he loves you"

Rowan nodded quietly.

They stopped at a large set of ornate wooden double doors. "I'll go first" He said, winking at her before pushing open one of the doors.

"Dwalin whats this about?" She heard Thorin ask as he stepped inside

"I believe I can help answer that" Gandalf said walking in, Rowan following behind him

"Gandalf, what.."

Everyone was so focused on the wizards arrival that they didn't notice Rowan until she stepped beside him. There was a short silence as Rowan felt twelve sets of eyes fall on her.

"Rowan!" she heard Elira cry as she ran toward her friend, knocking her off balance as she pulled her into a hug

"Please.. be real" Rowan heard her whimper as she hugged her back.

"I promised didn't I?" Rowan said quietly, as she felt a few stray tears beginning to streak down her face.

Elira gave her a teary smile

The rest of the company had gathered around by then, each one wearing broad smiles.

Rowan felt like a runners baton, as she was passed off from one member to another with hugs or light head bumps. she snorted as she thought of the heart attack Amrynn would have if she knew about all the tight hugs she was being pulled into.

She frowned as she noticed two faces missing from the crowd

"Their down at the training grounds" Elira said reading her expression

Rowan nodded before turning to the last person in the group- Thorin.

He looked at her carefully for a moment before dropping to one knee. "I acted as a fool" he said "I owe you my life though I did not deserve it. I have no right to ask of you but I will beg for your forgiveness."

She looked at him emphatically "You were not yourself" she said shaking her head "There is nothing to forgive. But you can have my forgiveness if you wish for it"

He gave her a bewildered look before standing. He clasped a hand on her shoulder, pulling her into an embrace.

"Thank you" he said as he took a step back

"of course" she said quietly

The door shuddered as it was pushed open causing Rowan to turn.

"Sorry were late uncle we just..." Fili stopped in his tracks when he saw Rowan. The sword he had been carrying in his hand clattered to the ground as he ran to her, pulling her into his arms. She buried her face into his chest as he pulled her close, resting his head on hers.

"If this is a dream then I hope not to wake up"

"Fili" she whispered as he let out a small sob of relief

"I thought I may never see you again" he murmured, his voice beginning to break.

She could feel her tears beginning to soak into the fabric of his shirt "I'm not going anywhere" she said, pulling away to look up at him with a small smile before reaching up, pulling him into a kiss.

...

..

.

.

"This would go faster if you would stop fidgeting" Dis laughed as she wove her fingers deftly through Rowan's hair "There lets have a look at you" she said taking a step back

Rowan nervously smoothed out the front of her gown as she looked in the marge mirror. The layers of white fabric pooling just above her feet as it billowed out around her hips.

"One last thing" Dis said as she helped fasten a thin vale to the back of her hair, smoothing it flat. "There now don't you just look like a vision"

Rowan gave her a nervous smile

"my dear you couldn't look more nervous if you tried" Dis snorted

"That obvious?" Rowan laughed

Dis put her hands on her shoulders " I could not have asked for Mahal to send my boy a better one than you. You have nothing to be worried about"

"But what about those who oppose the..."

"Never you mind them. Now you go out there and show them the confidence of their future queen"

Rowan smiled as she walked with dis out into the hall.

Outside the grand hall they met Dwalin who stood waiting at the large doors.

Rowan gave one last nervous smile to Dis as she hurried off to the side entrance, before taking Dwalins arm. "You look lovely lass" he said as he nodded to the guards to open the door. The large doors creaked as they were pulled open, revealing the large hall crowded with people on wither side.

Rowan sucked in one last deep breath before they made their way into the room. Up ahead she could see Elira standing next to an out of breath looking Dis, the blond wore a broad smile as she caught sight of her friend coming up the isle. on the other side of Elira stood Balin and Bilbo who both gave her broad smiles when she caught their eye. Bilbo gave her a small wink as she neared them. At the head of the hall stood Thorin who stood facing them, his usually tight lipped expression exchanged for one of happiness as he stood at the head of the preceding.

It was then that her eyes finally found who she had been looking for Fili stood just in front of Thorin, his back turned to Rowan as she approached. Kili stood next to him, whispering to his brother as hey waited. He turned as he heard Rowan approach, his grin broadening as he saw her, he gave her a quick wink before turning back to whisper to Fili.

Finally they reached the end of the isle, Dwalin leaving her to stand next to Balin as she made the last few steps on her own. Fili's eyes widened as he finally turned to see her, his smile spreading across his face.

She listened as Thorin addressed the crowd for a while, his words slowly falling on deaf ears as she felt Fili's fingers slowly wrap around hers. She refocused as Thorin then turned to the two of them.

"Do you Rowan Firebrand here by take Fili Durinson into the bond of marriage from this day on and into the halls of Aule?"

She nodded "I do"

"And do you Fili Durinson here by take Rowan Firebrand into the bond of marriage from this day on and into the halls of Aule?"

Fili squeezed her hand "I do"

Thorin smiled "Then as my right as king under this mountain I bind your union from this day onward"

The hall filled with applause and cheers as Rowan pulled Fili into a kiss, grinning as a loud wolf whistle sounded from where the rest of the company was seated.

Rowan looked over as Elira came to stand beside her

"Well we did it" Elira said, taking Kili's arm as they prepared to exit the hall.

Rowan grinned as Fili placed his arm around her "We're home"


	42. Home

**_Oh my gosh you guys I cant believe its almost over! I just want to take a moment to say how unbelievable the response I got to this fic. It blows me away! Thank you guys so much for reading and commenting and for sticking all the way to the end! I cant tell you how happy it made me! I may go back when I get more free time and reedit some chapters and add a bit more to the story. _**

**_So with out further ado, here is the final chapter of A Long Way Home..._**

* * *

...60 Years later...

Fili grumbled as a loud knock sounded on the chamber door. Beside him Rowan groaned, burying her head in his chest, dragging the covers over her head. "I swear if Feren has woken up Nilli again, he is going to be grounded for the rest of his life" she mumbled.

Fili grinned at her as he turned his head to the door.

"Feren if you're bothering your baby sister again your in a lot of trouble" he said

"King Fili, Queen Rowan?" A deep voice called from the other side of the door

Fili sat up "What is it?"

"Urgent news from the wall my King"

He frowned, throwing back the covers as he fumbled around for his tunic, Rowan pulling on a dressing gown behind him.

The guard bowed to them as Fili opened the door "Sir Riders in black have arrived at the wall. They bring tidings from Sauron, wishing to speak with the rulers of the mountain"

"Did they say why they have come?" Rowan asked from beside Fili

"Yes my lady. They wish for information about hobbits- a Baggins in particular"

Fili nodded "We will be out soon. Wake Thorin and my brother and his wife as well Tell them to meet us at the wall"

"And send someone to check up on the children" Rowan added "I'm sure Elira will be reluctant to leave Thea alone so soon"

The guard nodded, bowing as he left.

Fili shut the door, running a hand over his face "I've only been king for ten years and already I have servants of the dark lord at my gates" he sighed as he began changing

"What in the world could they want with Bilbo?" Rowan wondered as she pulled on a dress "When we saw him at the coronation everything seemed fine"

"I don't know, but whatever it is it can't be good" He said shaking his head, tugging on his boots as he stood

"Aren't you forgetting something my liege?" Rowan teased as she twirled his crown in her hand

He smirked, giving her a kiss as he took it from her, pausing to straighten her diadem before shrugging on his coat.

"Are you ready mo annym?" he asked

"For you- always"

...

Elira and Kili stood in the hall waiting.

"What do you thinks going on?" she mumbled tiredly as she smoothed out the front of her dress

"I don't know but it better be good for being woken up at his hour" Kili mumbled leaning down to rest the side of his head on her shoulder "I've had my fill of early risings with Thea"

Elira pushed her shoulder up "Get off, your beards all itchy" she teased

"I thought you liked my beard" he pouted leaning his head back down on her shoulder

"You got me" she laughed, leaning down to plant a kiss on his cheek.

They looked up as Thorin came down the hall, pulling on a coat as he went.

"Your brother wants us to meet him and Rowan up on the wall" he said pulling his grey hair from under the coat.

He stopped and looked at his nephew "Kili" he sighed

"Yes uncle?"

"Your tunic is on backwards" Thorin said pinching the bridge of his nose before walking off towards the gate

...


End file.
